Wide Awake and Dreaming
by Pysche
Summary: COMPLETE When Marik's spell traps Yami in a world of nightmares, the only way for Yami to escape is to stick with someone whose presence can keep him in the real world. But just who that person is may be surprising... SetoYami
1. Escaping the Nightmare

Another fic about how Yami got his own body... I guess I have some kind of obsession with that- (lol) but there are so many different ways it could happen. Hope you enjoy!

**Warnings**: Yami will be OOC, but it's because of everything he's been through, and don't worry, he'll be acting like himself again before the end. Oh, and shounen-ai, if anybody didn't already know that...

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 1: Escaping the Nightmare

"Since when do you bow before your enemies? Now get up," a harsh voice drawled. I raised my head, glancing around me in surprise, but this time, Kaiba wasn't there. Was his voice just another illusion in Marik's Dream World, or had I finally begun to crack?

Six months after the end of the Battle City Tournament, I had been overjoyed when Isis and Malik reappeared, because Isis told me of a spell to finally regain my own body. However, none of us had anticipated Marik's return- the evil spirit Malik and I had banished to the Shadow Realm had somehow retaken Malik's body, and he added one extra word to the spell as it was completed, trapping my mind in a horrible fantasy.

At least, this is what I pieced together over the last week. I think that I still have my body, though I don't know if it is here or somewhere in the real world, but all I can see are series of hallucinations. Yugi-tachi have been here, though their features are strangely twisted and their mannerisms exaggerated, but this is the first time I've heard Kaiba's voice.

Still, even if it was just a hallucination, his words helped me as much as they did the last time he uttered them. Climbing awkwardly from my position on my hands and knees, I wiped the frustrated tears from my grimy face and started walking in the direction I'd heard his voice. For some reason, I felt sure that I would find help there.

After walking for twenty minutes or so, the world began to swirl once more and frightening shapes appeared from the haze around me. I shut my eyes tight and desperately yelled out; "Kaiba!" hoping his voice would reappear. I wasn't disappointed. "We made a good team, you and I," his voice whispered through the darkness, echoing the first encouraging words he had ever spoken to me.

Keeping my eyes screwed shut to block out the darkness, I kept walking in the direction of his voice, though I couldn't say what I expected to find once I reached my destination. I was interrupted from my journey by the sweet young voice of my hikari.

"Yami, where are you going?" Yugi called.

"Yugi...?" I breathed hesitantly.

"You're going the wrong way," he told me, smiling. "You'll never find the exit that way." He gestured to the pitch-black void I had been two or three steps from entering.

"Oh!" I gasped. "You're probably right." I knew this Yugi was just another hallucination, but if a vision of Kaiba could help me, then so could a vision of Yugi, right? I turned and started to follow Yugi away from the blackness.

"Hn. You're such a fool," Kaiba's voice snapped, much closer than it had been before. It was coming directly from the darkness.

I hesitated, looking back towards his voice, and Yugi called impatiently, "Come on, Yami! Don't listen to that jerk!" At his words, I gasped and glowered at him.

"Yugi would never say that about anyone; I should have known better than to listen to this phantom. And Kaiba... We may not be as close as Yugi and I are, but I still trust him," I said to myself, and taking a deep breath, ran into the darkness at full speed with my eyes shut tight.

I hit something solid. It grunted.

"What in the world are you doing in my office, Yugi? And how did you get here in the first place?" Kaiba's voice growled; and I felt his hands push me away from him.

I wrenched open my eyes, only for them to tear up with relief. "Kaiba! You're real!" I cried. My legs stopped working and I fell weakly to my knees, staring up at him.

He glared back. "Yugi, I don't know how you got past security but stop crying like a baby and get out," Kaiba ordered, pointing at the door. I wiped my face and nodded.

"Thank you, Kaiba. You'll never know how much I appreciate this," I said as I walked to the door. His brow furrowed slightly in what must have been his version of a confused stare.

When I stepped out of his office and shut the door behind me I gasped. The Dream World was back- swirling colors and grotesque shapes appearing in the distance. I ran through the door again and slammed it behind me, breathing hard as I took refuge in Kaiba's office. "K-Kaiba, it's still there. You are real...aren't you?" I asked in a quavering whisper.

"What in the world are you going on about? You're insane," he snapped. Well, he _sounded _real enough.

Hesitantly I approached him until I finally stood directly beside him. "What are you doing?" he asked in confusion, and started to back away; but before he could I grabbed his arm and latched onto it, sighing in relief when it failed to melt away. "Just making sure you're real," I told him.

"That's it. Get _out_," Kaiba groaned, and pried my hand off his arm. He kept a tight grip on my hand and dragged me into the hallway. It was just a hallway. I sighed in relief and Kaiba let go of my hand. "Now leave me alone," he snapped, and stalked back into his office, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as the door shut, the Dream World snapped back into my vision. Monstrous figures zoomed towards me and I screamed in horror. "Kaiba! Kaiba, help!" I shouted in panic, running back towards the swirling pit where his office had been.

He yanked open the door and the Dream World suddenly disappeared. I kept running and latched myself around his waist, hyperventilating. "It...it...back," I panted, gasping for air. "Marik...gone...but back."

"Marik? That psychopath who ruined my tournament?" he growled. I nodded, still gasping uncontrollably.

"Yugi, for goodness' sake, calm down," Kaiba said impatiently. "What in the world happened to you; that you come latching on to _me_ like I'm the only thing that's keeping you alive?" He added the last part sarcastically, peeling me off him with difficulty, and I gave a slight involuntary whimper when he let go of me.

"Not Yugi. I...spell. Got my own body, but Marik came back...sent me...dream world," I said, my panicked gasps slowly subsiding.

"Not Yugi? Then who are you? Well, I can tell you're that _other_ Yugi- the only one I ever bothered with, but your name is still the same, isn't it?" Kaiba said, sounding confused.

"Call me Yami. That's what the others do," I replied, finally calm once again.

"Darkness... It's appropriate," he mused. Then: "Fine, whatever. What just happened to you in the hall?"

"The Dream World came back. It was gone, but you left, and it came back..." I whimpered pathetically. Being lost and alone in that horrible place hadn't left me with much of my usual strength.

Kaiba sighed. "Come on. I'll take you to Yugi, or whoever can get you back to yourself and out of my hair." He stalked away rapidly and I rushed to follow him, afraid to let him out of my sight. Sure enough, as he turned a corner ahead of me and slammed a door behind him, the hallucinations came rushing back and I screamed.

"GAH!" I heard Kaiba groan in frustration. He stalked back into view, glowering, and the Dream World faded. Sighing, he grabbed my arm and dragged me along with him.

Kaiba yanked open the door to a tiny silver sports car and pushed me into the passenger's seat, and then hopped behind the steering wheel, immediately speeding down the highway at breakneck speed. I watched him drive; a line of concentration appeared between his bright blue eyes and his thick hair hung heavily over his forehead. Why was he the only thing keeping me in reality?

Kaiba pulled to a sudden stop in front of the game shop where Yugi and Jiichan lived. I hopped out of the car eagerly, but waited on Kaiba's (deliberately slow) footsteps to catch up with me before going inside. "Yugi?" I called hopefully, opening the door.

"Yami! Thank goodness! We've all been going crazy trying to figure out how to break Marik's spell! How did you get back?" Yugi cried.

"Kaiba helped me," I replied, gesturing toward the scowling figure in the doorway.

"Kaiba! How? Why?" Yugi stuttered in disbelief. "I DID NOT!" Kaiba protested loudly.

"Yes you did. I don't know how, but somehow I ended up in his office, and now the Dream World is gone as long as he's still in sight," I answered them both.

Kaiba glowered and Yugi gaped. "Well, now that you're back, maybe Isis could find a better- er, _another_ way to break the spell," Yugi said.

"Isis is still here?" I asked curiously.

"She's at the museum. We managed to get Marik under control, but she's still been working nonstop to free you," he replied.

"Well, maybe whatever she did worked, and that's how I found Kaiba," I mused thoughtfully. Kaiba snorted.

"Come on, let's get you to that crazy woman so I can finally get rid of you," he grumbled. I nodded, ignoring the last part of his sentence.

"Yugi, do you want to come?" I asked.

"He'll be walking. He won't fit in my car," Kaiba put in. I glared at him. He glared back, arms crossed menacingly, and I could practically feel the tension crackling in the air.

"Er, that's alright, I have to watch the game shop anyway," Yugi said hastily. "Good luck, Yami. I'll tell everyone that you're OK."

"Fine. Let's go," Kaiba snapped, and grabbed my arm, dragging me back to the little sports car.

We rode in silence to the museum. When we arrived, (parking illegally) I turned to Kaiba, biting my lip. "I don't know how you helped me, but you did. I heard your voice in that Dream World, and it was the only thing that seemed real... So thank you," I told him quickly, reddening.

He blinked at me, surprised. "Well, you're welcome, I suppose... Now come on. Let's get this over with." He stalked toward the entrance and I rushed to follow him, latching onto his arm as soon as I got close enough.

We had barely stepped through the door when Isis greeted us with her melodic voice. "Welcome, my Pharaoh," she said, bowing slightly.

"Not this Pharaoh garbage again," Kaiba groaned. I ignored him.

"Isis, it's good to see you. How did I get back? Was it another of your spells?"

"I believe so, my Pharaoh, but I must say I am surprised with its results," she replied mysteriously.

"Just tell us what you're talking about for once, woman," Kaiba growled. I had to agree with him.

Isis sighed and glanced between Kaiba and me. "I found an ancient spell to remove your mind from the Dream World, but on one condition. You needed someone to ground you, someone whose presence you could depend on to keep you in reality. I expected it to be Yugi," she explained.

I glanced briefly at Kaiba before turning back to Isis. "Is that why the Dream World reappears every time he leaves the room?"

She nodded. "You need him to stay nearby. After a while, that dependence should fade, and you'll be able to spend more time apart, but for now, if Kaiba leaves, your hallucinations return."

"How long will it take until I'm back to normal?" I asked worriedly.

"Every day you'll be able to separate more, but it will be at least a month before you will be able to move about freely without him," she replied.

I glanced at Kaiba's emotionless blue glare and sighed. There was no way Kaiba would put up with something like this; especially if it took an entire month. He had absolutely no patience for anything to do with magic- or anything that inconvenienced him. "Isis, is there another way to free me from the Dream World?" I questioned hopefully.

She hesitated. "Well, the only other way would be to revoke the original spell and return you to the Sennen Puzzle, but if we did, you would lose any hope of ever gaining your own body."

My heart sank, but I sighed again and nodded. "Alright, then. Do it," I said weakly. I had lived in the Puzzle for thousands of years; surely I could do it again. If only I hadn't gotten my hopes up... But, I never even really got a chance to see what the world was like outside the Puzzle, since I had been trapped in that Dream World ever since the spell. It was probably better that way.

"No."

Kaiba suddenly spoke up, and Isis and I turned to him in surprise. "You are your own person and you deserve your own body. You aren't going back to that...whatever you were before," he declared firmly.

"Kaiba, this means he won't be able to be out of your sight for at least a month, probably longer," Isis cautioned.

"Do you think I care? I've lived through much worse than that," he scoffed.

"Kaiba, are you serious?" I gasped, shocked.

"I don't joke," he replied shortly.

I broke into a delighted grin, disbelieving. I never expected him to agree to this... "Thank you, thank you so much!" I breathed.

"Well, just don't make me regret it," he grumbled.


	2. Settling In

**Important Author's Note**: I re-uploaded the first chapter, because it had an error, but I only changed one sentence, so you don't have to read it again if you don't want. (But it _did_ make a difference. I'm not that neurotic! lol)

Several of you asked if Yami and Seto would have to shower together (snickers), but they won't, since they just have to be in the same room- so there are ways around it. I'll address that in this chapter, but I thought I needed to explain it a little here, too. I hope you guys like this chapter- it doesn't have a lot of action, since I'm still basically setting up for the rest of the story, but I tried to keep it as interesting as I could...

**Warnings**: Slightly OOC Yami, because of the circumstances, but I'm trying to keep him as in character as possible.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 2: Settling In

"It looks like you'll be staying with me for a while, so let's go get your things," Kaiba said, climbing into the car.

"I don't have any things," I replied.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Well, I have my deck, I suppose. But that's really Yugi's, so no, I don't have anything," I told him.

"How can you not have _anything_?" he groaned in frustration.

"I was a spirit before. Then I was thrown into the Dream World," I explained, rolling my eyes. "Not much time to shop there."

He muttered something under his breath. "Fine," he eventually muttered, and started the car. We had been speeding along the highway for five minutes before I worked up the courage to ask where we were going. "You have to change clothes sometime," he replied.

"What does that mean?" I asked, confused.

"Don't be stupid. We have to go shopping, you idiot. But this better not take long," he snapped.

"Kaiba, I don't have any money," I protested. He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Don't worry about it," he replied, and silenced me with a glare. Grumbling to myself, I stared out the window. How could Kaiba be the one I "depended on" to keep me in reality? He was almost as bad as the Dream World...

Suddenly I remembered the horrible nightmares of that place and shuddered. No, I would prefer Kaiba's rudeness to that any day.

He parked (illegally, again) in front of the Domino City Mall and stalked rapidly away from the car, and I ran to catch up with him. "Kaiba, do we _have_ to go here?" I grumbled.

"Yes," he retorted shortly. I sighed and followed him into a drugstore. He walked quickly through the aisles, pulling out things like toothpaste and deodorant and throwing them at me. When I had my arms full, I followed him to the cash register and dropped the load on the counter with a sigh of relief.

"Will that be all?" the cashier asked pleasantly. I looked at the enormous pile of toiletries and quirked an eyebrow at her. "I hope so," I muttered.

Kaiba ignored us both and merely pulled out his wallet, glaring. The cashier hurriedly rang up the items and bagged them- and Kaiba made me carry the bags, of course.

He repeated the same process in a clothing store, pulling out clothes seemingly at random and tossing them at me. Luckily, I caught them all (some of the clothes landed on my head, but I still counted that.). Then, when I was sufficiently buried, Kaiba shoved me into a dressing room and closed the door behind me.

Here we encountered our first problem.

As soon as the door closed behind me, familiar shadows started creeping in. "K-Kaiba, please come back," I stuttered. At least I didn't scream.

He groaned. "Can you not even go into the dressing room by yourself?" he muttered in annoyance, but opened the door and stepped inside. I just stood there gaping at him. "Well, go ahead," he said, waving his hand, and I reddened.

"Er, I can't change with someone watching me," I mumbled, so he turned around and faced the door, crossing his arms and glaring.

"Well, I don't exactly want to watch you change, either. So hurry up," he spat. I nodded, even though he couldn't see me, and hurriedly tried on all of the outfits. I tried to fight down my blush and concentrate on what I was doing, but every few seconds Kaiba shifted impatiently and grumbled about how ridiculous this situation was.

It was distracting, to say the least.

"Okay, I like that outfit best," I finally told him, pointing at a pair of black pants and a gray long-sleeved shirt.

"Do they all fit?" he asked, turning around.

"Well, yes," I said, "but why does that..."

"Then we'll get them all. You can't wear the same thing every day," he explained impatiently.

"Well, I always did before," I muttered under my breath. He didn't hear me, or he chose to ignore my comment, because he picked up all the clothes and stalked out the door with me running after him like a chick chasing a mother hen. I wondered what Kaiba would think of that comparison.

After the dressing room incident neither of us felt much like shopping anymore (though I really hadn't felt like it in the first place)so we went back to Kaiba's car, which was somehow miraculously missing a parking ticket. When I leaned back against the seat, relieved that we were leaving, my stomach rumbled loudly. Kaiba and I stared at it.

"I guess you're hungry, then," he commented. I blushed.

"Not that hungry," I lied. "I can wait until whenever you want to eat something."

He shook his head. "We should probably go home anyway. Mokuba gets out of school in half an hour." I wondered why Yugi hadn't been at school; I had assumed it was a weekend. That Dream World really made me lose track of time.

"Kaiba, what day is it?" I asked. He gave me a confused glare.

"Thursday, October 28," he replied. "Why?"

"I was in the Dream World for almost three weeks, then! I thought it was just a week. No wonder I almost had a breakdown," I mused.

"Almost?" Kaiba scoffed.

I chose to ignore that.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Kaiba said, a few minutes later. I remembered the Kaiba Mansion from my time in Noa's World, but it certainly looked different now. For one thing, it now had a huge, lifelike statue of a Blue Eyes White Dragon overlooking the gate. It also looked a lot less like a haunted house.

"Is that supposed to scare people?" I asked, gesturing toward the statue as he drove through the gate. He shrugged.

"Keeps vandals away at night, at least. Its eyes glow in the dark," he smirked.

I shook my head. Kaiba was crazy.

He parked in the middle of the driveway and jumped out of the car while I still gathered all the bags. Kaiba had made it all the way to the front door before I managed to get out of the car, but he paused at the threshold and I gave him a grateful smile, which he ignored. "Well, come on. I'll show you where my room is," he said impatiently.

"Y-your room?" I stuttered, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yami, if you can't go into the dressing room alone you definitely can't sleep in your own bedroom. Now hurry up. I still have work to do today."

I nodded weakly, cheeks burning, and followed him up the stairs. I hadn't thought about sharing a room with him. And what happened when I needed to use the restroom or take a shower? How humiliating...

I began to consider just going back to the Dream World.

Kaiba's room was mostly blue; blue sheets and curtains, and a comfortable-looking blue sofa in the corner. The room also had a desk with a state-of-the-art computer, and a door in the far right of the room led to an attached bathroom. I dropped my things on his bed and he glared at me. "They were heavy, and I don't know what you want me to do with everything," I told him unrepentantly.

"Put your toothbrush and those sorts of things in the bathroom," he ordered, handing me the bag. I hesitated. "You can leave the door open," he added, rolling his eyes.

I nodded and obeyed. When I came back, he was hanging my new clothes in his closet. "Thanks, Kaiba, you don't have to do that," I said, surprised.

"You were taking too long," he snapped, and I looked at the ground.

"Sorry," I muttered. I hoped Kaiba wouldn't get too annoyed with me; if he refused to let me stay near him I'd have to go back to the Sennen Puzzle- or the Dream World. But everyone seemed to annoy Kaiba, so I'd have to work hard to stay on his good side... I suddenly felt a twinge of nervousness in the pit of my stomach.

"Hn," he grunted indifferently at my apology. "Now let's go get something to eat so I can get back to work."

"Weren't you waiting on Mokuba?" I asked curiously.

"I try to come home before he gets out of school, and I work in my study while he does his homework," Kaiba explained.

"Oh. That's thoughtful of you," I grinned. How cute. Well, maybe I could get tips from Mokuba on how to stay in Kaiba's good graces.

"Hn," he grunted again, looking away. I think I embarrassed him a little.

We sat in the kitchen and ate sandwiches (since it wasn't a regular mealtime and it would take too long for the cook to fix anything) and then I followed Kaiba to his study. It was obvious that the Kaiba brothers spent a lot of time in here; it was like a miniature library, with rows of books stacked on bookshelves along the walls. A desk with an executive chair and a state-of-the-art computer sat in the corner, and two black plush chairs and a matching couch decorated the middle of the room, with a glass coffee table between them.

"You can do whatever you want. Just don't bother me," Kaiba told me briefly and sat down at the computer, immediately typing away at full speed. I watched him for a moment, and then wandered around the room, looking at various book titles. Most were about computers or technology, though there were also novels and other types of reference books. I picked up a promising-looking novel and relaxed on the sofa. After a few minutes, during which I read silently while Kaiba clacked away at his computer, a figure suddenly bounded over the edge of the couch and landed right on top of me.

"Oomph," I grunted in surprise as well as pain. That hurt.

The black-haired object constricting my breathing blinked; obviously startled.

"Yugi? What are you doing here?" Mokuba questioned.

"It's not Yugi, it's the _other_ Yugi, and it's a long story," Kaibareplied drolly.

"Oh... Seto, I'm hungry, will you come to the kitchen with me and fix me a snack?" Mokuba asked meaningfully. I gave a snort of amusement.

Morbid amusement.

The brothers ignored me and Kaiba nodded at Mokuba, thenlet Mokuba run out of the room before giving me a significant look. "Try to stay out of earshot," he said.

What was all this about? I followed them at a distance, but made sure Kaiba didn't get too far ahead. When they went in the kitchen I sat on the hall floor and tried not to listen to their conversation.

Well, I _tried_.

"Seto, I can't believe you brought him over here!" Mokuba cried. "I heard Yugi-tachi got him out of that Puzzle, but..." Mokuba quieted, and I couldn't hear anything for a minute or so.

"WHAT! He's staying here!" Mokuba shouted.

"Keep your voice down," Kaiba urged.

"Why? He's listening, isn't he?" the younger Kaiba asked shrilly. I heard the kitchen door slam and suddenly I was plunged into the familiar swirling darkness, but this time one of the grotesquely twisted monsters hovered right above my face, just out of reach. It sucked in a husky, rattling breath as if to suck the very life from my body, and I curled into a ball— knees to my chest and arms covering my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the end.

Suddenly I felt arms wrap around me and I screamed, thinking it was the hideous tentacles of the monster. "Shh, shh, Yami, it's me, it's just me," Kaiba's voice soothed. "K-Kaiba?" I whimpered, opening one eye. He knelt before me, face even with mine, and his arms stretched around my shoulders comfortingly, if slightly awkwardly. I took a deep, shuddering breath and clutched at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his chest. I was shaking all over.

"It was so close," I murmured, still hiding my face. "It tried to... I would have..." Suddenly I realized Kaiba's shirt was wet under my face. I hadn't even realized I was crying.

"Calm down, nothing happened," Kaiba ordered sharply. I jerked my face away and crawled backward so that my back pressed against the wall.

"S-sorry. I'm sorry," I stuttered in fear and embarrassment. Glancing up, I saw Mokuba standing in the kitchen doorway staring at us in disapproval. "I'm sorry, Mokuba. I promise I'll go away as soon as I can, and I'll stay out of your hair."

He frowned deeply, and my heart plummeted. The next month would definitely not be easy.

* * *

Kaiba and I made it through our evening routine with minimal humiliation. One of us showered and used the restroom in Kaiba's bathroom, leaving the door open, while the other stayed in the bedroom. We had forgotten to buy pajamas at the mall, so I had to wear some of Kaiba's. The shirt hung mid-calf and the pants extended at least six inches beyond my feet.

When I walked out of the bathroom, tripping slightly over the pants, Kaiba handed me a pillow and thick blanket and pointed to the couch. I nodded and curled up on the sofa, and Kaiba turned off the lights. I heard the sheets rustle as he climbed into bed, and I closed my eyes, gradually drifting off to sleep.

My hallucinations visited my nightmares.

_The fake Yugi appeared, smiling widely, and beckoned me to follow him, but when I hesitated, he transformed into the tentacled life-sucking monster. When I tried to run, my legs sank into a murky, swirling pit, trapping me in the mire. The monster slowly approached, its features twisted into a grotesque smirk, and opened its mouth. Its husky, growling breath accompanied sharp yellow teeth twisted into screw-like swirls. _

_I shrieked in panic, flailing my limbs, but the pit had swallowed me up to my elbows. "Help! Kaiba, where are you?" I shouted desperately._

"Here, I'm right here," his voice answered. Suddenly the monster and the pit disappeared, and I was plunged into darkness. The silhouette of a person hovered over me in the gray world. "Kaiba..." I whimpered again.

"Yami, I'm right here," the figure whispered, shaking my shoulders gently. I clutched at it and clung to it desperately, slowly becoming aware of my surroundings. The darkness... I was in Kaiba's room, and it was nighttime. Then the Dream World had disappeared again. Or had it just been a nightmare? It was hard to tell.

"I'm sorry... Please don't be upset with me; I didn't mean to bother you," I murmured, embarrassed by my weakness.

But I still didn't let go of him.

"It wasn't your fault," he replied impatiently. He peeled my arms away from him but held on to my hand. I latched onto his arm with my other hand. "Well, come on, then," he continued, standing.

"What? Where?" I asked.

He didn't answer; just climbed into bed, tugging on my hand. "You can stay here. If you sleep on the couch you'll probably just have another nightmare."

I crawled after him gratefully, gripping his hand tightly. I couldn't shake the irrational fear that the Dream World would come back if he moved away from me. When I remembered the nightmare, I unconsciously squeezed his hand tighter and he hissed. "Yami, you're cutting off my circulation," he complained, and pried me loose.

I substituted my pillow for Kaiba, squeezing it as I let out an involuntary shudder. Kaiba must have felt it, because he sighed and laid an arm lightly across my back. Slowly, I relaxed under his touch and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry if the clingy Yami gets on your nerves- he kind of annoys me, too. But I promise there is a reason he's acting this way, and you'll see it a little more with each chapter- and he _will_ get better. Eventually.

**Reviewer Responses**: There were too many of you to reply to you individually (I got seventeen reviews for the first chapter...wow) but thanks so much to everyone who responded, and I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

One thing a few of you commented on is my idea for this story, so I thought I'd tell you how I came up with it. Actually, I had a dream- I don't remember anything about it, except in it someone made the comment "I can't believe this is the person you chose to ground you in reality." And that's where the idea came from. I'm not sure how I got the Dream World from that, though... Anyway, if any of you like this idea, feel free to rip it off in any way, shape, or form. I'd actually be really flattered.

As always, please review!


	3. Disturbing News

Well, everyone hates me now for not making them shower together. lol. Hey, I would have liked it, too, but Seto and Yami fought back and found a loophole. Darn them.

**Important Author's Note**: The next story I want to post, after _Wide Awake and Dreaming_ is up, has some sexual content, but I really would rather not have to give it an R rating. I was wondering if one or two of you would be willing to read the chapter in question and tell me if it's too racy for PG-13. If anybody would do this for me, would you please tell me in your review so I can email it to you? I'd really appreciate it.

**Warnings**: OOCness; specifically clingy-Yami.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 3: Disturbing News 

When I woke, Kaiba had vanished. For a moment a jolt of fear ran through me, until I heard water running in the bathroom and realized I could still see him if I needed. Yawning slightly, I shuffled to the closet; Kaiba's pants dragging on the ground behind me. I pulled on a pair of black pants and slipped off Kaiba's oversized T-shirt, but before I could replace it Kaiba strode out of the bathroom, toweling his dripping hair. Blushing hotly, I quickly yanked on a shirt.

Backwards.

I struggled to twist the shirt around without removing it, but only succeeding in getting stuck with my left arm hung in a sleeve. The shirt rode up my torso as I raised my right arm over my head to yank the other sleeve off. Kaiba gave an amused snort.

Shaking his head, he strode over to me. He pushed my right arm away impatiently, and gently gripped my left elbow, pulling it down as he tugged the sleeve upwards. Then he twisted the shirt so it faced the right direction and pulled it over my head. I stuck my arms through the sleeves, and he smoothed the shirt while I gaped at him incredulously. "Mokuba," he explained, shrugging.

We stared at each other for a moment, until I felt my face heat under his gaze and escaped to the bathroom.

* * *

After Mokuba left for school, I had to tag along as Kaiba went to his office. I followed him, panting, as he stalked through the building at full speed, and resisted the urge to grab his arm. Instead, I huffed along behind him and collapsed, exhausted, into a chair in front of Kaiba's desk when we finally reached his office. 

"Tired, are we?" he smirked as he sank gracefully into his desk chair, not showing the slightest sign of exertion.

"Your legs are longer than mine," I grumbled, glaring.

"Ah," he said vaguely, and commenced typing (and ignoring me).

"I should probably call Yugi today. Maybe he and the others can come visit me, since I can't go to them," I mused to myself.

Kaiba wordlessly handed me the phone. "Yugi's at school right now," I told him. He didn't answer, just waved the telephone impatiently, and I hastily grabbed it out of his hands. "Well, maybe I could leave him a message," Iamended thoughtfully, dialing Yugi's number.

"Kame Game Shop," Yugi's voice answered after the second ring.

"Yugi? Why aren't you at school?" I asked, shocked.

"Oh, hi Yami," Yugi answered softly. "It's good to hear from you. How are you handling being around Kaiba all the time?"

"It's heaven compared to the Dream World," I replied instantly. "But you didn't answer my question."

Yugi sighed. "Jiichan has been really sick lately, so I've stayed here to help him and run the game shop," he replied.

"No, Yugi," I breathed. "When did he get sick?" Kaiba looked up at this.

"The day Marik sent you to the Dream World. It was almost like they were connected, but then you came back and he didn't get better..." Yugi told me dejectedly.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi. But he'll still get better," I said with more confidence than I felt, and bit my lip worriedly. Kaiba stared at me curiously.

"Yeah, you're right," Yugi replied, sounding slightly reassured (I hoped). "So why did you call, if you didn't even know I'd be here?"

"I was just going to leave a message for you. Kaiba said you could come visit me if you wanted," I lied, eyeing Kaiba pleadingly.

"Really? Where?" Yugi asked.

"Kaiba's house," I replied, watching Kaiba warily, but he just ignored me. I guess that was my permission.

"Great. When can we come?"

"Er, this evening?" I noticed the use of 'we', but kept silent, afraid that Kaiba would change his mind.

"Okay. I'll do my best. I have to go, we have customers," Yugi said quickly, and hung up before I could say goodbye.

I laid the phone back on Kaiba's desk, watching him carefully and waiting for his reaction. "He said he'd try to come," I ventured. Kaiba nodded, not turning his gaze from the screen.

"Jiichan's sick," I added sadly. "I think it has something to do with me..." I trailed off, gazing out the office window.

"You certainly have a high opinion of yourself," Kaiba retorted dryly.

"What?" I gasped in surprise.

"How could you possibly have made him sick? You've been in some nightmare world for three weeks," Kaiba elaborated.

"He got sick the day I got my own body. What if... I don't know- I have a body because I'm taking his or something?"

"That's stupid, and you sound like Noa. Taking people's bodies. Hn," Kaiba scoffed. Strangely, that reaction made me feel a little better.

"Well, Yugi's been skipping school to take care of him, and I can't even help them because I'm stuck here annoying you," I sighed.

"You're not annoying me. Except when you're feeling sorry for yourself, like now," he retorted, glaring. At these words, Kaiba rose and strode to the door, pulling it open.

"I'm sorry!" I shouted in panic, leaping to my feet. "Come back, please, I won't whine or feel sorry for myself, I promise!" I ran across the room and latched onto his arm. "Sorry, Seto," I murmured.

He chuckled under his breath. "I was just going to the men's room," he reassured me. "I assumed you'd follow."

I reddened. "Oh. Well, you seemed angry," I muttered. He gave me a slight grin and started walking.

I kept a firm grip on his arm as I followed.

* * *

Yugi, Honda, and Anzu arrived at the Kaiba Mansion around seven that evening; Jou was missing, most likely because of his absolute hatred of Kaiba. When they arrived, Mokuba and I were playing chess in the study while Kaiba worked. The younger Kaiba brother was much more agreeable this afternoon; maybe he had just needed a little time to get used to someone else living in the house. He still gave Kaiba strange looks whenever Kaiba paid attention to me, however. 

When Yugi-tachi arrived, one of Kaiba's faceless servants (I think his name was actually Ned) knocked at the study door. "Mr. Kaiba, guests have arrived, and are waiting in the foyer," Ned informed us.

Mokuba and I jumped up and Kaiba groaned. "Fine. Just give me a second," he replied.

"Mokuba, you can go ahead, so they won't just be standing there alone," I said, watching Kaiba finish typing a list of numbers. Mokuba gave me a long, thoughtful glance before he nodded and raced out the door.

"What was that look about?" I mused under my breath.

"Hmm? What?" Kaiba asked, closing the program and turning to me.

"Mokuba. He's friendlier today, but he keeps giving us strange looks," I replied.

"I think he's still trying to accept the situation. It is rather strange, after all," Kaiba said offhandedly, but he reddened slightly. I eyed him curiously but decided it was nothing.

"Come on, I want to see Yugi!" I insisted, grabbing his sleeve impatiently and pulling him out the door. He groaned again.

"This month is not going to be easy," Kaiba grumbled.

* * *

"Yugi! Honda! Anzu!" I cried happily, letting go of Kaiba's sleeve. "I haven't seen you in so long!" They all hugged me, and Kaiba made a soft gagging noise in his throat that only I caught. Giving him a brief glare, I asked them about Jou. "Where is Jounouchi?" 

"Who cares?" Kaiba muttered.

"Never mind, I think I know," I amended, frowning at Kaiba.

"So what's new?" I asked them as we trooped to the living room. (I grabbed Kaiba's arm again. He was in a bad mood because of Yugi-tachi and I didn't want to risk him running away from me.) Anzu immediately launched into a long speech, rambling cheerfully about all the things she and her friends had done over the past few weeks.

I made sure to sit next to Kaiba.

"You know, Yami, you and Kaiba seem to have gotten really _close_," Anzu giggled as she finished talking.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I grumbled, blushing.When she just giggled some more,I decided to ignore her, turning to Yugi. "How is Jiichan?" I asked in concern.

Yugi sighed. "He's been in the hospital for the past four days. I haven't told you because I didn't want to upset you while you were still dealing with the Dream World. He's not getting worse, but he's not getting better either."

"What exactly is wrong with him?" Kaiba spoke up. We all glanced at him; surprised he would deign to participate in a conversation with Yugi-tachi.

"His heart. The doctors think it's just weak," Yugi replied. Tears began to leak from his eyes and he stood hastily. "I have to go. Oh, Yami, I almost forgot; Isis wants to see you whenever you're free." I nodded and opened my mouth to reply, but Yugi ran out of the room, wiping his face.

"We should go after him," Honda said softly, and he and Anzu stood. Mokuba silently followed them and walked them to the door.

I turned my gaze to the floor, wringing my hands miserably. "Yugi... It's worse than I thought," I whispered. A tear dropped onto my hand, and I clenched my eyes shut. Slightly to my surprise, Kaiba slipped an arm around my shoulders.

"Shh, it's okay," he mumbled, patting my shoulder awkwardly. "They'll be fine, both of them."

"I know it's crazy, Seto, but I can't help feeling like this is my fault. I can't even be there for him," I choked, trying to hold back my sobs. I really felt horrible- I pretty much abandoned Yugi for three weeks while I was in the Dream World, and when I finally came back, I didn't even see enough of him to know Jiichan was in the hospital...

I turned and buried my face in Kaiba's shoulder.

"You may not be living with him, but you're still there for him, and he knows it. Plus he has the rest of the cheerleaders to help out," Kaiba informed me wisely.

"Don't call them that," I muttered into his shirt, but I grinned in spite of myself.

"I'll call them what I want. Do you want to visit the old man in the hospital tomorrow?"

"Can we?" I asked hopefully, pulling back to look at his face. Kaiba nodded, wiping away my tear tracks with his thumb.

"Maybe we can go see what that crazy Egyptian woman wants, too," he added.

Irolled my eyes and stood up. "Come on, I'm hungry," I told him, stretching languidly. He glared at me.

"Don't be so pushy," Kaiba grumbled, and I immediately grabbed his hand.

"Sorry, I'm sorry Seto," I apologized, and he sighed.

"I'm not going to kick you out, Yami, so relax," he assured me. I slowly loosened my grip on his hand as Kaiba stood, but didn't let go of him. He didn't seem to mind, however- he merely swung our arms carelessly as we walked and smirked down at me mischievously.

"Not that I want him to be sick, but I hope that old guy is either asleep or unconscious tomorrow. He really hates me," Kaiba commented.

"Kaiba!" I cried angrily, and yanked my hand out of his grasp. I stopped in the hallway and glared at him, but he simply raised an eyebrow, still smirking, and kept walking down the hall. After a moment I ran after him, sliding my hand back into his.

Seto smiled.

* * *

That wasa short chapter...sorry about that. But I'll update soon- look for the next chapter in the middle of next week, probably Wednesday. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I love you all!

Oh, and those of you wondering about Mokuba's reaction- all I'll say is to read _very_ carefully. There's definitely something going on under the surface; the Kaiba brothers have a lot of secrets.


	4. Visiting

Hello all! I don't really have any notes this time... So I'll just let you get on with reading the chapter. Hope you enjoy!

**Warnings**: Yami is sort of OOC; maybe... I don't know anymore; I can't decide.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 4: Visiting

"Here," Kaiba muttered roughly, shoving something into my hands. "I had someone get them today."

Blinking in surprise, I glanced down at what he'd given me and saw a pair of blue pajama pants and a matching white T-shirt, trimmed in blue, made of the softest cotton I had ever touched. "Thanks," I told Kaiba simply. "You didn't have to."

"Well, my clothes are too big and you can't sleep in your clothes. So stop wasting time and just put them on," Kaiba snapped. I grinned at him, shaking my head- he always seemed to find a rude way to be nice -and strode into the bathroom. Quickly I changed into the pajamas and started back to the bedroom, but hesitated at the door when an idea occurred to me.

I shut the door cautiously, waiting for the shadows to appear. I managed to count to three before the swirling, monstrous Dream World swarmed into view and I hastily yanked the door open again. Taking a deep breath to calm my pounding heart, I stumbled into Kaiba's room, trying to quell my shuddering shoulders. Kaiba frowned at me. "What…"

"I made it three seconds," I interrupted him with a quavering smile.

"Yami, you shouldn't do that just before bed. It'll give you nightmares," he sighed. He ran a palm over his face in exasperation and pointed to the bed. I climbed in gratefully, and he turned off the lights and followed me after a moment, swearing under his breath. Kaiba's words must have jinxed me, however, because I had barely fallen asleep before the dreams began.

_This time, Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda stood behind the fake Yugi. "Yami, what are you doing?" Anzu asked. "Aren't you our friend anymore?" I tried to protest, but my voice had disappeared, and no sound escaped when I opened my mouth. As Yugi-tachi scowled at me, vines of shifting shades of purple shot up from the ground and captured me tightly in their grasp. Slowly they clenched tighter and tighter, like a boa constrictor, until I was gasping for air._

"_Yeah, dude, you never have time for us now," Honda muttered, shaking his head. _

"_I thought we were best buds, but you only have time for Kaiba," Jou added. What? What was wrong with them? Couldn't they see that I was dying?_

"_You're not dying. Jiichan is dying, because of you," spat the sinister Yugi, as if he'd read my mind. "…because of you…" _

_In between my choked, desperate gasps, I finally found my voice. "No! That's not true! Kaiba said…Seto said…said it wasn't!" I rasped. "Seto…said…"_

"Wake up, Yami. Wake up, it's okay," Kaiba's soothing voice intruded into my dream. A sudden wash of relief roared over me, and I let out a choked sob- and impulsively threw my arms around his neck, clinging to Kaiba for some semblance of reassurance.

"He's NOT dying, he's NOT!" I cried. "You said it wasn't my fault, you said!"

Kaiba swore under his breath. "Calm down, Yami. Shh. Come on, relax," he coaxed, rubbing my back. I had started shaking uncontrollably and sobbing, and he swore again. "How bad was that dream, anyway?" Kaiba muttered to himself, pulling me closer and continuing to rub my back comfortingly.

"It was just like…just like the real Dream World. I thought I was back there, and I couldn't breathe…" I gave a giant shudder and Seto's arms tightened around me.

"It wasn't real. Shh, it was just a nightmare," he tried to console me.

I slowly loosened my grip and let my hands slide down from his neck. Resting my forehead against his chest, I took a deep breath, calming the shudders. "He's not… Seto, is he dying?" I whispered.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "But it isn't your fault either way."

At his words, I finally relaxed completely and closed my eyes. I kept my face pressed against his shirt, praying that he wouldn't pull away. After a long moment I heard deep, even breathing from just above me, and my bangs fluttered lightly in the breeze from his soft snores. I closed my eyes and drifted into a light doze.

Seto still held me in his arms.

* * *

"Can I drive?"

"No. You probably don't even know where the hospital is."

"Well, you could tell me."

"Or I could just drive _my_ car." Kaiba glared at me threateningly and climbed behind the steering wheel. I hastily jumped into the passenger's seat before he could drive away and leave me. Even though Seto had assured me that he wouldn't leave me alone, I couldn't help being terrified of going back to the Dream World.

Apparently, I was a bigger coward than I'd imagined.

"How many cars do you have?" I asked curiously, shaking off my morbid thoughts.

"I don't know. A lot. I like machines," Kaiba retorted shortly. Today he drove a royal blue Lamborghini. That was an Italian car, right? As an ancient spirit, I still knew virtually nothing about such things. Or maybe I just didn't care enough to think about them.

"All machines? Maybe you could fix Jiichan's washing machine, he's always complaining about it."

At this remark, Kaiba whirled his head around and gave me a lengthy glare until I cleared my throat and nodded at the road. Luckily, he hadn't killed anyone. Pedestrians could run fast when a speeding Lamborghini came flying their way.

Finally, several heart-stopping minutes later, we arrived at the hospital. I huffed along after Kaiba's long, rapid strides as he stalked to the receptionist's desk and glared menacingly at her. "We want to visit Sugoroku Mutou. Now tell us where he is," Kaiba snapped.

"What is your relation to the patient?" she asked, cowering slightly under his gaze.

"None of your business, woman. Just give me his room number," Kaiba snarled, slapping his hands on the desk.

"315," she answered weakly. Kaiba nodded at her and strode quickly away, and I ran after him. I shook with repressed laughter all the way up the elevator.

"K-Kaiba, that was totally unnecessary," I admonished, trying to hide my grin.

"Yeah, but it was funny," he smirked. I shook my head, determined not to encourage him.

When I quietly opened the door to his room, Jiichan was sleeping peacefully in his raised hospital bed as soft beeping noises issued from a heart monitor beside him. My mouth twisted into a wry grin. "What do you know, Kaiba? He really is asleep," I murmured softly, and Seto chuckled snidely.

At the sound of my voice, however, Jiichan stirred. "Yugi?" he asked, blinking sleepily. I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand while Kaiba hovered in the corner, as near to the door as possible.

"Jiichan, it's Yami. Did Yugi tell you about the spell?" I asked in a low voice.

"Yes, a little. I don't think I really believed him, though," Jiichan replied, smiling weakly. "He also said that… If you're here, then where is…?" he trailed off, glancing around the room, and finally his eyes rested on Kaiba. "…Kaiba," Jiichan finished, and frowned lightly.

"Jiichan, he's a friend of mine. Seto helped me when no one else could, and just being near him keeps the nightmares away," I told Jiichan firmly, though I realized how strange and corny that sounded. This wasn't some clichéd metaphor, however; Seto really _did_ keep my nightmares away.

"Well, alright then, Yami," Jiichan replied vaguely, closing his eyes. He was obviously still exhausted.

"You should probably get some rest," I decided, though I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. "I'll come visit you again soon."

"That's nice. You can bring Kaiba too, if you want," Jiichan murmured, and I smiled.

"I just might do that," I replied.

I glanced over at Kaiba and he opened the door to Jiichan's room without comment. We strode silently through the wide, sterile hallway until we reached the elevator and Seto pressed the down button. As we waited for the elevator to open I felt his cool blue gaze on me, and I fidgeted, looking away.

"I meant what I said," I mumbled softly.

"I know," he replied- and suddenly I felt his fingers twine gently around the tips of my own. I looked down at our joined hands and Seto gave my fingers a soft squeeze before pulling away. "Thank you," he said, so quietly I could barely hear.

I finally gazed up at him, meeting his eyes. The cerulean blue sparkled intensely through his long brown bangs, and my heart gave a funny jump. Just then, the elevator doors opened, breaking the moment (whatever it had been). We stepped to the back of the tiny cubicle, not looking at each other, and rode down to the next floor, where the elevator paused to pick up a swarm of passengers.

As the jabbering crowd squeezed into the tiny space in front of us, pushing us closer together, I could feel the heat from Kaiba's arm along my own, and unexpectedly I found myself wanting those warm fingers to slide into my hand once more. My heart lurched at the thought and I gave myself a quavering, sarcastic smile- and leaned against his side, still avoiding his face.

* * *

"Do you really want to come here today? She's not going to say anything worthwhile," Kaiba grumbled as he parked at the museum (legally this time, much to my surprise).

"She might. Isis is my only hope of getting rid of the hallucinations for good," I replied.

"What about me?" Kaiba sulked, and started walking faster in his anger. I raced to catch up with him and latched on to his wrist.

"I…can't…be…around you…all the…time…for the rest of…my life," I panted as I ran. Seto slowed and shifted his wrist so that I gripped his hand instead.

"Do you have to grab my arm so tightly? You were cutting off my circulation," he grumbled, scowling at nothing in particular. "Anyway, I don't trust Isis. She and her brother are the ones that sent you to that Dream World in the first place. Besides, you'll probably be able to get away from me and get on with your life in a few weeks," Seto continued.

"That's what _Isis_ said, and if you don't trust her, why do you believe that? You might just be stuck with a hallucinating, clingy psycho for the rest of your life," I replied sarcastically as we climbed the museum staircase.

"Yami, you're not…"

Isis interrupted before Seto could tell me exactly what I wasn't. "Hello, my Pharaoh and Priest."

Kaiba dropped my hand and pointed at her threateningly. "I am NOT a priest! Just tell Yami whatever you wanted to tell him so we can get out of here," he snapped.

"Very well. I asked him to come so he could answer a question. My Pharaoh, I need to know exactly what happened in the Dream World, and what happened when you returned, so that I may determine the exact effects of my spell," Isis replied.

"Spell? You cast _another_ spell on him? I think the first one did enough damage," Kaiba fumed.

"I was referring to the spell that tied him to you," she said, with a tinge of annoyance in her cool demeanor.

"I don't want to even think about what happened there. Do you have to know?" I questioned, looking away from the pair.

"Now you've upset him! Why don't you and your psychopathic brother just go back to Egypt and leave us alone!" Kaiba growled.

"Pharaoh, I'm sorry, but it is very necessary for me to know how you perceived your escape from the Dream World. There are many things you don't understand, and I promise to explain them to you as soon as I fully understand them myself, but for now you must trust me," Isis pleaded.

"TRUST YOU!" Kaiba shouted. "You've made his life a misery from the day he met you…"

"Kaiba, stop it!" I snapped. "I would've had to deal with this anyway. And it probably wouldn't hurt for you to know what I see every time you leave the room."

"Hn. Fine," Kaiba grunted. He crossed his arms and glared at Isis and me, and his blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"Just start by telling us the typical things you saw there," Isis said soothingly. I buried my face in the palms of my hands and took a deep breath before looking at the two of them once more.

"Well…"

* * *

**A/N**: Cliffhanger! Sort of... Anyway, in the next chapter you'll find out exactly what happened in the Dream World. All the nightmares are hints about this, too- so pay extra close attention to them. There might just be a few clues there as to exactly why Yami's so messed up...

Thanks again to all my reviewers! You make this all worthwhile!


	5. Reliving the Nightmare

I'm back! Sorry for the wait- but I couldn't upload until now. Anyway, the first part of this chapter is a flashback. It's not in italics, but it's fairly obvious where the flashback ends, anyway. Okay, read, review, and enjoy!

**Warning**: Yami may be slightly OOC, but I'm trying to keep him in character as much as possible.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 5: Reliving the Nightmare

I had separated from Yugi so that my spirit hovered beside him. Generally he was the only one who could see me, but now things felt different. As Isis chanted, I felt my limbs growing heavier and I gradually became more solid, and Yugi-tachi and Malik looked on in wonder as my body slowly came into view beside Yugi. Yugi gazed at me open-mouthed, and I felt a click, a slight shift in my body, just as Isis finished her chant. I started to smile, but suddenly Malik shouted something in ancient Egyptian. We turned to him in shock, only to see that his hair had been rearranged into thick spikes and he had a crazed look in his eye.

"Marik!" Isis shouted. The psychopathic other side to Malik had reemerged! I heard Yugi gasp in shock before sudden darkness swarmed around me.

Darkness… It wasn't like the black, pulsing darkness of the Shadow Realm; this was something different. Swirling colors shifted all around me so that the sky bled indistinguishably into the hazy distant horizon. All I could see were the dim plain and the shifting purple sky, barely visible in the gloom. As I stood stock still, gawking at my surroundings in wonder, I frantically tried to recall what Marik had shouted. Egyptian words.

Words that translated to… "Dream World"?

Then this was the world of my dreams. Or, since Marik had sent me here, it was probably the world of my nightmares. While I mused, I heard a deep rumbling from behind me and whirled around defensively, prepared to fight against whatever lurked in this "Dream World," but I found that a giant fissure had opened in the ground a few feet away. As I watched, the crack widened into a great, yawning chasm and sped rapidly toward the ground under my feet.

I ran, heart pounding and adrenaline pumping through my veins, until I eventually escaped the pit and paused to rest against a purple tree that had suddenly appeared on the horizon. But when I took a deep breath and leaned against the bark it morphed into sticky purple goo and I fell back against the ground. I hit the murky plain with a thud that knocked the wind from my lungs.

"Hey, bud, don't just lie there!" a familiar voice called laughingly.

"Jounouchi?" I asked hesitantly, not daring to believe that I'd found a familiar face. But I had. When I looked up, I saw him hovering over me with a wide grin.

"Yeah, man, why're you just laying on the ground?"

"There was a tree…" I started.

"I don't see no tree," he smirked, and offered me a hand. I took it gratefully, letting him pull me up, but suddenly his skin swirled with the same blinding mixture of colors as the sky and claws grew from his hands.

"What-what's going on?!" I stuttered, yanking my hand away and crawling backward along the ground.

"Where are you going, bud?" Jounouchi laughed, displaying long fangs. His white teeth stood out sharply against the swirling shades of red in his face, and I leapt to my feet and ran.

* * *

"That's what happened when I first got there. Everything else was pretty similar; it seemed to take things, people I cared about and transform them into something horrible. The Duel Monsters were the worst," I finished, raking a shaking hand through my hair.

"How did you escape?" Isis asked softly.

"That's ENOUGH!" Kaiba barked. "He's already shaking; he can't handle talking about this anymore!"

"It's alright, Seto. This part isn't so bad," I spoke up, and laid a reassuring hand on his arm. He put his hand over mine, watching me worriedly.

"I had been there so long, and it seemed like I was running all the time. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed on the ground, exhausted and crying… and I heard Kaiba's voice. He said the same thing he had when I'd battled against Marik for my first god card, 'Since when do you bow before your enemies?' I couldn't see him, but I got up and headed toward the sound of his voice.

"When I had been walking for a long time, I almost gave up, but I heard him again, encouraging me. Finally I followed his voice to the edge of a black void, when the fake Yugi showed up. He said I was going the wrong way, so I started to turn around. But Kaiba called me a fool," I laughed a little at that, "so I turned around again and ran into the darkness. The next thing I knew I was in Seto's office."

Isis stared at me wide-eyed, and I didn't dare look at Seto's face. "I see," Isis murmured. "Thank you for your words, my Pharaoh. I hope to have some answers for you soon." She turned and strode calmly away without another word.

I slowly pulled my hand away from Kaiba's grasp and turned toward the entrance, watching the floor. "Well, I guess we can go now," I muttered.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly.

"What? For what?" I asked, finally looking up at him in my surprise.

"That it was so horrible. That I didn't help you before," Seto replied.

"It wasn't your fault, and I don't think you could have helped me any more than you did," I told him slowly, confused.

He nodded slightly and began his speed-walk to the car, causing me to run panting after him once more.

* * *

"You know what's strange?" I remarked conversationally, lounging on the sofa in Kaiba's study.

"Hmm," Kaiba replied vaguely, staring at the computer screen.

"In the Dream World, everyone was different. Yugi was too sweet, until I'd make him angry, at least. Jounouchi was too friendly, Honda and Anzu too. Everything was twisted and exaggerated, except for you. I followed your voice because you sounded exactly the same as you always do: rude and encouraging at the same time."

I ended my speech and stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Maybe I just couldn't imagine you acting any way but like yourself," I added, chuckling slightly.

Seto walked over and sat on the couch beside me, pushing my legs to the ground. "Hey, I was comfortable," I grumbled, sitting up.

"I don't care," he smirked. "You shouldn't put your feet on the sofa anyway; it's not polite."

"Don't lecture _me_ about being polite," I scoffed, rolling my eyes, and gave him a rough shove. He grabbed my arm before I could pull away and twisted it behind me so that I automatically turned my back toward his chest to keep him from wrenching it out of the socket. I ended up almost sitting in his lap.

"Kaiba, let go," I protested, and pushed at his chest with my free hand in an attempt to pry myself loose. "Let go!" I pleaded again, tilting my head back so I looked him directly in the eyes.

His blue eyes met mine and I felt a tiny shock. I froze, staring at him, and he leaned slightly closer to me, so that I could feel his warm breath across my face. We sat there, frozen, just watching each other for a long moment- until I felt my face automatically inching closer to his…

"What's going on?" Mokuba's voice suddenly called from the doorway.

"N-nothing," I stuttered, yanking my arm out of Kaiba's grasp and climbing off the couch. I glanced over at Mokuba's disapproving face and moved to the chair farthest from Kaiba.

"How was school, Mokuba?" Kaiba asked.

Mokuba frowned at me a moment longer before turning to his brother. Then he climbed onto the couch beside Seto and started chattering away about his day, while I picked up a book and pretended to read. My mind drifted to the scene from a moment before. What had just happened? When Seto had leaned forward, it was almost like he was going to…to _kiss_ me.

But that was ridiculous. Right?

"So, Yami, do you like that book?" Seto's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Er, yes," I replied, not looking up.

"Well, it might be more entertaining if you turned it right-side-up," Kaiba remarked dryly.

I dropped the book in surprise and glanced over at him, my cheeks suddenly burning. While I had been lost in my thoughts, Mokuba had disappeared, and now Seto leaned languidly against the couch cushions with his arms crossed, smirking at me in amusement. "I…well, I…I was just thinking," I stuttered.

"About what?" he asked innocently, raising an eyebrow.

"Mokuba," I lied. "He seemed upset with me."

Seto's eyes darkened briefly before he replied. "Oh. Don't worry about him. I'm the only one whose opinion matters."

"You are so arrogant," I groaned. Kaiba stood at those words and strode slowly toward the door. I tensed and scooted to the edge of my seat.

"Could you imagine me any other way?" he asked, grinning, and stepped out of the room.

Gulping, I tried to wait before going after him, but a few seconds after he disappeared I panicked and ran out the door behind him. Shadows swirled in the edge of my vision as I barreled out the door and smacked into Seto.

"Please, please don't do that without telling me," I begged, clinging to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Yami," Seto apologized, and wrapped his arms around me consolingly. "I thought you would follow me before I got out of sight."

"I wanted to…to see how long I could last," I replied, briefly interrupted by a shiver.

"I'm really sorry; I didn't think you'd try that. We should probably wait a few days before we try separating," Seto replied. He patted my back soothingly and I loosened the fistfuls of his shirt I had been holding.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying not to be so clingy," I mumbled, and pulled away from him, staring awkwardly at the floor. But, as soon as Seto let go of me another giant shudder ran down my spine. He sighed and hugged me again, resting his chin on the top of my head. "Sorry," I murmured once more.

"It's not your fault." Seto backed away just enough to examine my face, and when I looked up at him, he surprised me by tugging me into another hug, even though my shudders had stilled. "I don't mind," Seto added.

"Really?" I asked, with my face burning as he finally let me go. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Seto smiled. "I feel like it," he replied loftily, and ruffled my hair like he would with Mokuba. "Let's go eat something," Seto added. He commenced his rapid strides toward the stairs, and this time I followed closely.

* * *

**A/N**: Next chapter: things get even worse for poor Yami. You'll see...

Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I really appreciate your feedback! Those of you reading Chef Yami, the sixth and final chapter should go up sometime tomorrow or Monday. I'm also posting a one-shot today, called "Healing Rain." Go check it out! (Heh, I'm not above shameless self-promotion...)


	6. Getting Worse

Chapter 6 is here! A lot of you were upset at the thought of Yami suffering even more; and yes, he does, but I think you'll forgive me...

Anyway, a note about updates: finals are coming up next week, so I won't have as much time, but I will continue to update this story twice a week until it's all posted (since it's already finished and won't have to spend much time working on it) but this will be the only story I put up until finals are over, about December 15. I just can't do any more...sorry...: : faints from exhaustion : : lol now on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 6: Getting Worse

After this, Seto and I joined Mokuba at the dinner table. I eyed him warily as I hurried into the room, careful to stick close to Seto, but much to my relief, Mokuba didn't glare when he saw me enter clinging to Seto's sleeve. As soon as we were seated the cook brought out our meal and placed it before us, but before I could touch my plate, something strange happened.

The food morphed into the familiar swirling colors of the Dream World and I gasped in horror. I scrambled to climb out of my chair and escape, but heavy steel shackles appeared and clamped my arms to the suddenly iron-black dining chair. Thorny vines of shifting shades of brown grew from the chair, encircling my neck and torso, and I kicked my legs, the last unfettered part of my body, and shouted hysterically for Kaiba.

"Seto, help, please! Seto, please!" I begged as tears ran down my cheeks. The thorns clenched at the mention of his name and pricked me painfully, but despite my injuries no blood emerged. My surroundings had become a hazy rainbow mist, and I was alone.

"Seto…" I whimpered pathetically.

Someone slapped me hard across the face.

I blinked. The chair had disappeared, as well as the illusory shifting colors of my nightmares. Instead, Mokuba's fuzzy head bobbed before my face, and I lay propped against something soft and warm.

"Why did you slap him? You're grounded for a month!" Kaiba shouted hysterically.

"It helped him! Look at his eyes!" Mokuba snapped back. The warmth behind me shifted and I whimpered at the loss of heat.

"Yami? Can you hear me?" Seto asked worriedly. Slowly, as my mind cleared and my heart slowed its panicked racing, I gradually became aware of my surroundings. I lay on the carpeted floor of the dining room; no, Seto sat in the floor, and I was… in his lap? He had his arms wrapped tightly around me, my back resting against his chest, and a chunk of his thick brown bangs hung over his eyes as he gazed down at me in concern.

His eyes were very bright.

"What…what happened?" I asked, rubbing my face.

"Your eyes glazed over, and then you just fell out of your chair and started twitching," Mokuba said. "You were shaking all over and screaming, and you only stopped when my brother picked you up."

"I saw… The Dream World, it came back," I murmured softly.

At this, Mokuba's eyes widened and I heard Seto hiss. "But why? Seto was right here," Mokuba asked, furrowing his brow.

"That woman," Seto replied darkly. "She was trying something, I know it."

"Isis? Well, maybe," I murmured thoughtfully. I didn't really care how it happened- I was just glad it was over. Sighing in relief at this thought, I started to crawl out of Seto's grasp- but as soon as he stopped touching me the world shifted. Mocking shadows crept along the walls, racing toward me, and I gasped and leapt back into Seto's arms. I buried my face into his shirt as shudders racked my body.

"What's wrong?" Seto asked in confusion, though he wrapped his arms around me immediately, rubbing my back soothingly.

"I think I'm getting worse," I mumbled into his shirt.

* * *

After about an hour of "testing" in Seto's study (most of which I spent shuddering in Seto's arms as he tried to calm me) Mokuba, Seto, and I determined that my condition had indeed worsened. (Well, obviously it had, but Seto insisted on using the "scientific method," or whatever he called it, to determine just how screwed up I was now.) Now, I could only move two or three feet away from Kaiba without the Dream World creeping in, and I was only really calm when touching him- though maybe I just needed the human contact after the horrors of the Dream World. After the last test, which predictably ended with me quivering in fear and clutching desperately at Seto, he sighed in exasperation.

"We're going to see Isis first thing in the morning," he snarled. When I saw the furious glare in Seto's flashing blue eyes I scooted away from him as far as I dared.

"I'm really sorry about this. I hate this so much; being this weak, that is. The Dream World, though…it's like being stuck in your worst fears forever. I can't be strong when I'm there," I murmured, and buried my face in my hands, cursing my failure.

The great King of Games cried like a baby and clung to Kaiba over a nightmare.

Seto sighed again. "No one could," he replied shortly, and pulled me back to him, tugging my hands away from my face and forcing me to look at him. He rested his hand on top of both of mine, where they had begun twisting awkwardly in my lap. "Yami, you lasted three weeks there all alone. I probably wouldn't have lasted three minutes," he muttered.

I stared, wide-eyed, at Seto's self-deprecating admission. "That's not true. You…you're…" I forgot what I had started to say as I watched him. His thick brown bangs hung heavily in his eyes as he gazed thoughtfully at Mokuba, who had fallen asleep in a chair. I made up a new sentence instead. "Your nightmares are probably worse than mine," I whispered softly.

He slowly turned the thoughtful gaze to me, examining my face. "Maybe," he murmured, and for a moment his gaze flickered to our hands before he turned his eyes back to Mokuba. "Maybe."

* * *

I trailed after Seto, clutching his arm, as he turned off the lights and crawled into bed. As he lay on his back beside me I let go of him and backed as far away as I could, nearly to the far edge of the bed. He deserved a little privacy, at least. "Won't you have nightmares if you're all the way over there?" Seto asked, yawning.

"No," I replied simply.

"Yes you will. Don't be stupid," he snapped. I inched slightly closer, still leaving a good deal of space between us. He sighed. "Yami, just come here," he groaned, and pulled me against him. Relieved, I immediately settled into his side as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Rolling on to my left side, I rested my head on his chest and hesitantly draped an arm over his stomach, clutching his shirt tightly.

"Don't do that," he muttered.

"Sorry," I squeaked, and scooted away again, but he caught my wrist and pulled me back against him.

"No, I meant don't tug on my shirt like that," he explained, and draped my arm back over his stomach so that it reached all the way across his torso. My fingers twitched involuntarily, needing something to cling to; and Seto must have felt them, because he reached up and clasped my hand in his. He rubbed my back softly with his other arm. "Don't worry. We'll work everything out tomorrow."

I nodded against his chest and closed my eyes. I fell asleep to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

* * *

I felt the soft pressure of lips against my forehead and I blearily opened my eyes. Seto lay beside me with his arms draped around my back. His eyes were closed but I knew he wasn't really asleep; for one thing, I had felt him kiss me. The thought vaguely crossed my mind that I should wonder about this, but strangely it didn't bother me. It felt…reassuring.

But that didn't mean I couldn't tease him about it.

"Hmm, Seto's still asleep," I muttered, yawning widely. "At least I don't have to smell his morning breath in my face." His eyelids twitched slightly. "Then again, I'd better wake him up, since I can't really go anywhere without him. But how can I wake him up without getting close enough to smell him?" I mused aloud, not bothering to hide my grin. "Maybe I should poke him, or just pinch him really hard."

Seto's eyes flew open and he glared down at my grinning face. "You'd better not!" he snapped.

"Why, were you only pretending to be asleep the whole time?" I asked in mock surprise. "I hope you weren't offended; I wouldn't want you to breathe on me."

"Ha, ha," he retorted sarcastically. His arms tightened around me, and he opened his mouth to say something when someone knocked at the door. The servant (Ned, I think) cracked opened the bedroom door and peeked in- and froze at the sight of us, blushing cherry red.

Well, we _were_ in bed…with our arms around each other…

Suddenly I began to feel rather awkward.

"Mr. Kaiba, Yami has a phone call from a Yugi Mutou. He says it's urgent," the servant mumbled, distracting me from my thoughts. An urgent call from Yugi could only mean one thing…

"Jiichan!" I gasped, and leapt from Seto's arms, tripping over him in my rush to grab the telephone from the servant. I made it halfway across the room before I realized the shadows of the Dream World had returned. This time I didn't move or speak; I just stayed frozen, waiting for Kaiba to come and bring me back to reality.

Closing my eyes, I waited until I felt the now-familiar arms around my shoulders before moving again. "Thank you, Seto," I murmured, grabbing his hand and tugging him with me as I reached for the phone. "You can go," I said to Ned, who nodded and vanished.

"Look at him, ordering my servants around," Kaiba remarked to no one. I ignored him and lifted the telephone to my ear.

"Yugi?" I asked worriedly. A choked sob answered me. "Yugi, what's wrong?" I pressed. Seto hovered behind me, shifting from one foot to another, and I could tell he was worried as well when he rested his other hand over the one I clenched frantically.

"Jiichan's worse. They had to put him on life support," Yugi replied weakly. "I just thought you ought to know." Then he hung up.

"Yugi, are you avoiding me?" I asked the telephone, holding it at arm's length and staring at it. "You didn't even tell me _when_ he got worse." I pressed the button to hang up the phone, and dropped it to the carpeted floor. It hit with a dull thud, muffled by the thick carpet, and bounced across the floor until it rolled under the bed.

I wished I could follow.

"What happened?" Seto asked curiously.

"Yugi said they put Jiichan on life support, and then Yugi just hung up, without even explaining anything," I mumbled, biting my lip. I didn't understand- Yugi should have known how worried I would be; I wanted details; to know exactly what was wrong. But, lately, Yugi hadn't been telling me _anything_. He hadn't even told me Jiichan was in the hospital until four days after it happened; though he'd said that was because I was too upset about the Dream World already. Was that the case now? Maybe he didn't think I could handle any more bad news…or maybe…maybe…

Maybe he had lost confidence in me.

"Well, he's probably just upset and doesn't want to talk about it any more than absolutely necessary," Kaiba remarked sensibly, interrupting my dreary thoughts, and I nodded slowly, hoping that this was the explanation. "Now hurry and get ready, and we can go to the hospital before we have our chat with that idiot woman at the museum," Seto continued, scowling over the thought of Isis, and he grumbled about her under his breath as I hurried through the embarrassing process of dressing while he hovered nearby.

* * *

When Seto and I stepped into the hospital waiting room, we found Yugi-tachi staring at us blearily, slumped tiredly in the hard, nylon-covered chairs. Apparently they had all missed school today to visit Jiichan. As we watched each other silently Yugi approached me, and when he reached me I slid my hand out of the crook of Seto's elbow and hugged Yugi tightly. After a moment, I reluctantly pulled away and inspected his face. Dark, heavy bags encircled his eyes, prominent against his pale features, and he seemed close to dropping from exhaustion.

"Yugi, you look terrible," I breathed. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Yes," he nodded, "but I just can't seem to get enough rest. I must be so worried about Jiichan that I can't relax." I sighed and hugged him again, feeling waves of guilt wash over me.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"It's okay. You've got enough problems of your own, anyway," he replied, eyeing Seto furtively. When I saw Yugi's uncertain expression I instinctively retreated to Seto, slipping my hand back in the crook of his arm. I gave Seto's impassive face a quick glance before hastily changing the subject.

"When can we visit Jiichan?" I asked.

"No one can go in right now. The doctors want him to be left alone for a few hours. Then, if he's better, they'll let in one person at a time for ten minutes an hour," Yugi explained wearily.

"Oh," I murmured, disappointed. "Well, you should be the first to see him, Yugi." I glanced up at Seto and added, "We have to go back to the museum and talk to Isis, anyway, since…" I trailed off before I could let news of my new "situation" slip, not wanting to worry Yugi any more, and hastily continued, "Maybe we could come back in a little while, and see if they'll let him have visitors then." I gave Seto a pleading glance as I said this, and he nodded down at me and gave me a little smile, flashing even white teeth.

I heard Anzu make a suspicious sound in the back of her throat, and Jounouchi muttered something inaudible, though I definitely caught the word "Kaiba."

Reddening slightly (though I wasn't sure why), I hugged Yugi once more and waved goodbye to the rest. Seto started toward the exit and I raced after him; but as I left, through the corner of my eye, I saw Yugi collapse weakly into a chair, running a palm tiredly over his pale face.

* * *

**A/N**: Hmm, that was pretty angsty for something I wrote... Just as a side note, it was hard for me to pick a genre for this story- it seems to have a little bit of everything. Finally I just chose romance and didn't worry about anything else. lol. Next chapter: we learn more about Isis's grounding spell, and Yami finally cracks. (Although he's gotten pretty close already.)

To my reviewers: Once again, thank you so much for reading and responding to this. I love hearing what you have to say! And several of you are still wondering about Mokuba, so I'll give you a hint: read carefully. When Mokuba gets upset, make sure you pay attention to exactly what he's responding to. If you still can't figure it out, don't worry; it'll be obvious in a chapter or two anyway.


	7. Hysterics

Well, here's chapter 7. I apologize for the erratic updates- usually I try to wait at least three or four days between postings, to give you time to read, but I'll be really busy all weekend, and it's better to update now than wait until Monday, don't you think? Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 7: Hysterics 

I sat rigidly in the passenger's seat of Seto's little silver convertible; clenching my eyes shut against the inevitable return of the Dream World during the few seconds it took Seto to walk to the other side of the car. I heard the car door slam and the car start, but I kept my eyes shut, carefully regulating my breathing. Somehow, this time hallucinations had even crept in under my eyelids.

Seto slid his hand into mine and my eyes fluttered open in mild surprise. "You don't have to, I'm fine," I reassured him quietly. He merely lifted our joined hands to the steering wheel and kept driving, not answering me, and I let out an inward sigh of relief- though I didn't necessarily need his touch, it still reassured me; it was like undeniable proof that I wasn't hallucinating anymore.

Somehow, Seto seemed to understand that.

He finally let go of my hand when we pulled into the museum parking lot; but when, as we exited the car and my hallucinations predictably returned, I froze in place and Seto wordlessly took my hand again. I leaned against him as we walked up the museum stairs; grateful he had stopped trying to outrun me.

"My Pharaoh," Isis murmured, suddenly appearing in the doorway and bowing deeply.

"Just call me Yami," I groaned, rolling my eyes. Seto snickered under his breath.

"Yami, I am surprised to see you here with Kaiba. Your bond has proven stronger than I had anticipated," she said mysteriously.

"What did you do?" Kaiba growled dangerously. He straightened to his full height, towering over Isis as he shot her a vicious ice-blue glare.

"I found another spell to counteract Marik's, but when I attempted to remove the original grounding spell, it reformed itself," Isis explained, seemingly unthreatened by Seto's anger.

"WHAT! YOU NEARLY KILLED HIM!" Seto shouted, letting go of my hand and pulling me into his chest protectively. I could feel his arms trembling slightly as he held me in a bone-crushing hug, my face buried in the folds of his shirt.

I tried to shift my position so air still made it to my lungs.

"This spell should have worked. It would use the bond of all his loved ones to counteract the nightmares. I didn't expect the grounding spell to push this one back," Isis protested.

"I don't care! You should have told him what you were doing," Kaiba snarled, tightening his already bone-crushing grip on me. I whimpered inaudibly.

"Perhaps I acted too soon. But, since my original grounding spell worked, I believed that another spell of the same nature would have equal effect. It seems I was wrong, however," Isis admitted.

"What do you mean, of the same nature?" I asked, finally breaking free of Seto's grip and taking a wary step away from him. He was stronger than he looked.

Isis hesitated. "Well, this new spell would use many loved ones, so it should have been stronger than the first one. The grounding spell…" she trailed off, looking between the two of us with concern.

"Just get on with it, woman!" Seto barked.

Isis sighed. "The grounding spell only works if both parties trust each other completely. The person trapped in the Dream World can only be held in reality by the person he trusts most in the world; since he essentially needs to rely on that person to keep him from the nightmares. And the person grounding the other in reality- in this case, Kaiba –can only do that successfully if he trusts the other with his life. Otherwise both will be drawn into a nightmare."

Seto and I stared at her in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" I asked weakly.

"I thought you would be upset, because it was Kaiba instead of Yugi keeping you here," she responded. "Before I tried the grounding spell, I told Yugi of its risks, and he agreed to let me attempt different means to bring Yami back. His friends also agreed to risk themselves for Yami- but I never expected Kaiba to be the one to ground you."

I shook my head and glanced up at Kaiba, reddening. "Yugi can't trust me completely because he thinks I'm the darker half of his soul; so maybe…maybe I doubt him too. A little…" I murmured, hanging my head in shame. This was something I'd never actually admitted- that little niggling doubt that came from knowing Yugi didn't always trust me. I had always been unwilling to let myself accept it, though now it seemed I had no choice…

"And I've always trusted Seto. He's never lied to me, and he helps when no one else knows how," I added, shaking my thoughts away and glancing up at Seto again.

He watched me with dawning emotion in his cerulean eyes before turning to Isis. "Just fix it," he snapped. Without another word, he grabbed my arm and tugged me away from her, back down the stairs.

We avoided each other's gaze.

We paused beside the passenger's side door to Seto's car, but I hesitated because I knew the nightmares would come back as soon as I climbed inside. Reluctantly I placed my hand on the door handle but immediately pulled it away again, my fingers trembling a little. Sighing softly, Seto reached around me and opened for me. "It'll just be a couple of seconds. You trust me, right?" he cracked, grinning slightly.

I laughed shakily. "Yes, I suppose I do," I replied. Impulsively I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, for everything," I whispered, clenching my eyes shut. I couldn't say why I was suddenly so emotional, but for some reason I just needed Seto right then; needed more than ever just to be close to him; so I clung to him desperately, wishing for…wishing for… _something_.

Suddenly I burst into tears.

Seto slowly returned the hug, and he stroked my hair gently as I cried into his shirt. "Yami, what's wrong? Is it your Jiichan? Did Isis do something else to you?" he asked in confusion.

I shook my head, still weeping uncontrollably. "Just don't leave me, please don't leave me alone!" I sobbed.

"What… Yami, I'm not going anywhere," Seto replied incredulously. I just dug my face deeper into his shirt and clutched at him, keeping my eyes screwed shut. "Why are you so upset?" he whispered, running his fingers through my hair.

"I…I don't know. I just… As soon as I'm better, you won't…you'll be gone," I choked, as my sobs gradually began to subside. That thought hadn't even occurred to me until it slipped from my mouth, and as the idea registered in my mind, fresh, hot tears poured down my cheeks, soaking the front of Seto's shirt.

He sighed and dug in his pocket for a cell phone. With me still clinging around his middle, he called for a limousine to come to the museum. "What are you doing?" I asked his shirt.

"What you asked. I'm not leaving you alone," he replied.

By the time the car arrived I had calmed my hysterics, but I still clutched Seto's arm tightly. After he parked, the driver climbed out of the car and opened the door for us. "Mr. Kaiba, a Yugi Mutou called the house while you were gone. He said not to bother returning to the hospital today, since Sugoroku Mutou wouldn't be allowed visitors until tomorrow."

Watching me out of the corner of his eye, Seto nodded curtly at the man, and I sighed in disappointment. Still clinging tightly to Seto's arm, I climbed into the limousine behind him as he pushed the button to block us from the driver's view. Then, Seto surprised me by pulling me close to his side and wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

He must have felt really sorry for me.

"Look, I know it's been a rough few weeks for you, to say the least," Seto said, chuckling morbidly, "but I promise things will get better." I rested my head against his side and he paused, carefully scrutinizing my face. "Isis was right," he continued. "I would trust you with my life, and I have before. I…I won't leave you, even after you escape that nightmare world. That is, if you still want me around."

Seto drew his arm away from my shoulders and I sat up, watching him as he turned his face toward the window, observing the passing scenery. "Thank you," I told him softly, sliding my hand into the crook of his elbow. He nodded but kept staring out the window, and shafts of sunlight streamed onto his handsome face, making his bright blue eyes shine brilliantly in the glow.

Wait, handsome?

I gulped at the thought. Why did something like that even cross my mind? _Because you believe it_, a voice answered in the back of my head. Well, even if I did think Seto was handsome, it didn't mean anything… The voice laughed. _Except that you're crazy about him._ I frowned at my growing insanity and lifted Seto's arm so that it draped around me.

I would show that stupid voice.

As I settled into Seto's side, nothing happened for a moment- no strange reactions whatsoever. I sighed, relieved, until Seto finally looked at me, giving me a brilliant white smile. My stomach lurched strangely and my heart skipped a beat; then the voice popped up again.

_See? I told you so_.

* * *

After that, I tried to touch Seto as little as possible. That afternoon, Seto sat beside me on the couch, typing on his laptop, and I tried to read another novel (making sure it was right-side-up this time) while we waited for Mokuba to come home from school. I curled up on the edge of the couch as far away from him as I could; trying to ignore my growing attraction. 

It was impossible.

Every time Seto yawned, sighed, or shifted position, my eyes involuntarily fastened on him. I read the same sentence about fifteen times before I finally just closed the book and tossed it on the floor in frustration. Seto glanced over curiously and my heart did a tiny flip when he looked at me. "Can't concentrate," I muttered, looking away.

I heard him close the laptop and set it on the coffee table. "I think I'll take a break," he commented, stretching. My eyes shifted back to him against my will, watching the shirt ride up on his long, lean torso, exposing an inch or two of his smooth skin. As I tried to tear my gaze away he suddenly scooted closer to me and leaned across my lap, looking at the book on the floor.

My heart started pounding a calypso beat.

"What were you reading?" he asked, still leaning over me.

"Er, I don't know," I replied weakly.

"You sure weren't paying close attention to your book, then," Seto laughed. He stretched farther across me, reaching for the book on the floor. Now he was almost lying across my lap. My stomach lurched and churned crazily, and I felt a wave of nervous nausea wash over me.

Oh no.

"I…I don't feel so good," I murmured, holding my stomach. Seto straightened, holding the book, but when he saw my face he dropped it again.

"Yami! You're so pale, what's wrong?" he asked, and placed the back of his hand gently against my forehead. "No fever…" he started to say, but at his touch my stomach gave another giant leap.

I ran for the garbage can in the corner, ignoring the swirling shadows creeping into my vision, and vomited violently. I threw up again and again, until my stomach had emptied completely, and even then I kept gagging uncontrollably.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Calm down, Yami," Seto murmured, tenderly brushing the bangs away from my face, until I gradually calmed and quit gagging. I wiped my face with my sleeve and knelt in front of the foul-smelling garbage can, afraid to move. I don't think I'd ever felt so nervous in my life.

"Come on, you'll probably feel better now. Just let your stomach settle," Seto coaxed. He sat against the wall and tried to tug me toward him, but I twisted out of his grasp and curled up near the garbage can, not looking at him.

"Yami, what's wrong?" he sighed.

"My stomach," I replied shortly, still looking away.

"I know, your stomach, but why are you pulling away from me?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.

"I…I might throw up again," I lied.

"You can't, your stomach is empty," he said. "Just come here, you'll feel better if you relax."

"I'll relax over here," I sulked.

"You're right beside the garbage can!"

"So?"

He groaned in exasperation and stood in one swift motion as I watched him apprehensively. Frowning, Seto stomped over the three feet or so to where I sat curled in the corner and picked me up off the floor. "Hey! Let me go!" I shrieked, scrambling to escape from his tight grasp, but he carried me across the room and dropped me on the couch.

"You'll be sick again if you just sit there by the garbage can," he admonished, making me lie down.

"No I won't! You said yourself I couldn't throw up again if I wanted to," I protested, sitting up. He pushed me down again and held me against the couch by my shoulders, and I swung my legs off the sofa and slid sideways out of his grasp.

"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Seto groaned. He shoved my legs back on the sofa and sat on them. Then he gently pushed my shoulders down again, panting slightly as he leaned over me. His brown bangs hung over my face, nearly brushing my cheeks, and he gave me a smug grin, staring straight into my eyes.

My stomach flopped again and my breath hitched. "Please, please get off me, Seto," I begged. "I…really…I don't feel…I think I'm sick," I panted, starting to hyperventilate. "Please…just let…me go." I started pathetically gasping for air and clutched at his shirt, forgetting that he was the one making me react like this in the first place.

"Oh god! I'm sorry!" Seto cried. "Calm down, please calm down," he pleaded and slid off my legs. I continued to gasp, clutching at him, so he picked me up again. Seto settled in the floor with his back propped against the couch and cautiously rested me in his lap. He rubbed my chest soothingly, trying to get me to breathe normally again. "Shh, I'm sorry," he whispered.

I nodded and slowly calmed my breathing. "Sorry," I murmured.

"You couldn't help it. But I don't understand; you've been upset about something all day. Did I do something?" he asked.

"No… Just, a lot has happened lately," I replied vaguely.

"I understand," he murmured.

Hah. Sure he did.

Suddenly I realized I was sitting in his _lap_, and I tensed, nervousness washing over me once again and making my limbs feel like jelly. Seto felt my reaction. "I just got you calm," he groaned, exasperated, and let out a weary sigh.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, please don't be angry," I begged pathetically, and scooted away from him, but he caught me before I could escape his lap and pulled me close again.

"Yami, just _relax_," Seto said. "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing, I'm sorry, I'm relaxed, I'm fine," I replied shrilly. He chuckled.

"Yes, of course you are," Seto retorted sarcastically. He kissed the top of my head like he would with Mokuba, and I smiled despite myself and rested my head against his shoulder. He laughed softly. "There, that's better," Seto murmured.

I shrugged and closed my eyes, and he wrapped his arms around me gently.

* * *

The next thing I was aware of was Mokuba's voice. "So you told him, then?" he asked excitedly. 

"No! He was sick and I just… He doesn't know, and I don't plan on telling him, so leave it alone," Seto snapped.

"Why won't you tell him? Are you afraid?" Mokuba asked. He sounded disappointed.

"A little, maybe. But he's going through a lot right now. I don't want to add to that," Seto explained.

"But Seto," Mokuba protested. "What about what _you're _going through? I know how much it must hurt you! How can you stand it? To be this close and still not be able to…"

"Just leave it," Seto sighed. "He doesn't feel…"

"HI YAMI!" Mokuba interrupted loudly, noticing my eyes had slid open. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. What were you talking about?" I rasped. My throat was raw from vomiting.

"Nothing," Seto replied hastily, pulling me to my feet. "Let's go get something for your throat."

I let him lead me downstairs without comment, but the wheels were turning in my mind. Apparently Seto had some sort of problem that he hadn't told me about. Maybe that was why Mokuba had been so upset when I moved in; the Kaiba brothers had a secret.

What could it be?

* * *

**A/N**: Well can you guess what's going on with Mokuba now? lol I'm surprised no one's guessed it already, actually... 

Thanks to all my reviewers! I hope you all liked this chapter...poor Yami...lol

**FIC RECOMMENDATION**: Everyone go read SLJade's story _Time Crisis_! It's a Seto/Yami AU... I don't want to give anything away but you guys HAVE to read this! It's like a mystery novel, and SO much fun trying to guess what's going on. I've pestered the poor author to death with all my theories...lol! Anyway, the author link is on my bio, so check it out!!!


	8. Investigating

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 8: Investigating

Getting ready for bed that night was pure torture. Since I could still barely separate from him, I had to stand directly outside the shower curtain as Seto showered, and try not to stare as he dressed. But, despite my best efforts, my eyes slid to the smooth, supple skin not three feet away, and I gawked in wonder. He was so beautiful… I just couldn't help it. I peeked through the corner of my eye while Seto slipped into his boxers and a pair of cotton sweatpants, and I could feel my face heat when he began drying his thick, dark hair with a fluffy towel before putting on his shirt. A few drops of water still clung to his slim chest, and tiny rivulets trickled down the back of his neck before he could catch them with the towel.

Seto glanced briefly at me and caught me watching him; but he merely quirked an eyebrow and gestured for me to take my turn in the shower. As I hurried through my shower, trying not to think of the intoxicating presence on the other side of the curtain, my mind drifted instead to the way Seto had held me in his arms mere hours ago, and the soft kiss on my forehead when I was being completely frustrating and unreasonable. He never seemed to mind being near me; which frankly still surprised me a little, since after all I did nothing but inconvenience Seto.

But, though he didn't mind holding me, or being near me, _I_ couldn't handle _his_ presence anymore. What a strange turn of events.

Even as I mused over this, I finished my shower and pulled back the curtain, revealing the striking blue eyes of the object of my current turmoil. Seto observed me neutrally, not bothering to avert his gaze while I hurried into my pajamas, blushing awkwardly the entire time. After I was dressed, Seto wordlessly reached for my hand and led me back into the bedroom. My stomach flopped dangerously at the contact, and for a moment I was afraid I would vomit again.

I sighed in relief when Seto _finally_ turned off the bedroom lights.

Still gripping my hand, Seto climbed into bed, and I crawled in behind him and cautiously drew my hand from his grasp. Then I lay as far from Seto as I dared (though this was still close enough to feel the warmth of his slim form all along my side) and closed my eyes, slowly calming my nervously pounding heart. Still uncomfortably aware of Seto's warm body so close to mine, I clenched my eyes tighter and forced myself to relax, until I finally drifted into a light doze.

The Dream World once again invaded my slumber.

I stood watching as Jiichan lay on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines. He rasped heavily, chest rising gently with each labored breath, and Yugi knelt beside his bed. Tears fell from Yugi's eyes and he clutched Jiichan's hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Jiichan, I tried, I really did," Yugi whispered.

"_Yugi?" I called softly. He whipped his head around and glared at me angrily, and I gasped at the pallid, sickly hue of his skin and the deep, dark circles under his furiously snapping violet eyes._

"_What are you doing here? Look what you've done to him! To both of us! I can't believe you would be so selfish!" Yugi snarled._

_Before I could protest, a swirling, multicolored tornado wiped away the scene, replacing it with Anzu comforting Yugi as a doctor spoke to them. "I'm sorry, we did all we could," the doctor said sadly. Yugi fell weakly to his knees and buried his face in his palms, his hands trembling violently. Anzu bent to help Yugi to his feet, but Yugi's legs quivered and he fell again, this time only his palms halting his face-first plummet to the harsh concrete floor._

"What's going on?" I gasped. "I don't understand!" The swirling tornado reappeared in a blinding flash, and I was left shielding my eyes from the multicolored whirlwind. "I don't understand," I whispered once more, as hot tears flooded my face.

"I don't understand," I said for the third time as my eyes snapped open.

Seto stared back at me, inches away; his cerulean eyes glittering in the moonlight. A clump of his thick brown bangs slipped into his eyes and he brushed them away impatiently, yawning widely and blinking. I must have woken him up. "Don't understand what?" he mumbled.

"Sorry, bad dream," I replied, rolling over to face the wall. He rolled with me and draped an arm over my chest, and I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my back as Seto settled alongside me, resting his head on my pillow and drawing me close to his chest.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" he murmured, yawning once more. The gust of warm air across the back of my neck sent chills down my spine and made my breath hitch. I shivered and carefully scooted from under his arm.

"No, I'm tired. I'm just going back to sleep," I answered shortly.

Seto sighed and rolled over so that his back faced me. "Good night, then," he muttered, and I could hear a trace of annoyance in his voice.

Feeling slightly guilty for making him angry (even though it was his fault- he had no idea how he made me feel when he touched me that way), I cautiously shut my eyes again, but now Seto was too far away. Hints of the swirling Dream World hovered behind my closed eyelids, taunting me and seeming to dare me to slide farther away from Seto; until suddenly a grotesquely twisted monster flashed before me and I panicked. "Seto!" I shrieked. Scooting close to him once more, I huddled against his back and clutched at his arm.

"I'm sorry, I'll tell you whatever you want! Please don't be upset," I pleaded hysterically.

"For god's sake, calm down," Seto replied impatiently. He rolled over and pulled my shaking form into his arms. I kept shuddering violently while Seto gazed at me thoughtfully for a long moment. Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead lightly. He pulled back a little, observing me, but I just stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief and continued shaking. Seto sighed quietly and rubbed my back as he leaned in once more and planted another soft kiss against my forehead.

I gaped at him.

"Why did you do that?" I croaked. He couldn't know how that made me feel. It was almost cruel.

"I don't know; it seemed to calm you earlier. And it worked again," he replied with a smile, and I realized I had finally stopped shaking.

"Oh. Sorry," I muttered.

He watched me for a moment. "You said you'd tell me whatever I wanted," he said.

"You want me to tell you about that dream, then? Well, Jiichan was in the hospital…"

"No," he interrupted. "I want to know why you keep pulling away from me today."

"I-I can't tell you that!" I gasped.

"You have to," he informed me with a smirk. I bit my lip hesitantly.

"It's because…because when you…because you make me feel…" I trailed off.

"Make you feel what?" he asked softly, inches from my face.

"Sick," I blurted.

"SICK?!" he repeated incredulously.

"Er, well…nervous, at least. When you were leaning over me before, my stomach lurched and I threw up," I muttered, cheeks burning in humiliation.

"So that's why you threw up?" he laughed. He chuckled for a few minutes at my expense before I punched him in the stomach, effectively shutting him up.

**$$$$ Next Scene $$$$**

"Can we see him yet?" I asked Yugi breathlessly, tugging Seto along behind me.

Yugi slowly rose, stretching, from his seat in the hospital waiting room. "They finally let me in late last night, so maybe you could convince them to let you see Jiichan," Yugi informed me, raking a hand through his hair tiredly.

Raising an eyebrow, I observed Yugi's wrinkled clothes and the deep, dark circles under his eyes. "Yugi, how long have you been here?" I asked in disapproval.

"Two days or so," he shrugged. "I eat in the hospital cafeteria."

"Yugi, you have to go home and sleep," I breathed. "Or at least go to a friend's house, if you don't want to be alone."

He nodded slowly. "I didn't want to leave Jiichan all alone, but since you're here, I'll go home for a couple hours," Yugi replied; then hugged me and shuffled out the door.

"Bye, Yugi," I called softly as I watched him plod slowly down the hall and out of sight. "Seto, I'm so worried about them both," I sighed when Yugi was out of earshot. "I think Yugi is sick, too."

"No, he just seems tired to me," Seto mused as he strode toward the door, motioning for me to follow. I trailed him to the nurse's station, where he convinced (well, more like terrorized) the nurse to let us both see Jiichan.

Once inside the sterile hospital room filled with dreary beeping machines, I hurried to Jiichan's side and clung to his hand, while Seto hovered a foot or so behind me. "Hi, Jiichan, how are you doing?" I murmured, eyeing his pale face. He slowly opened his wide violet eyes and observed me, though he didn't lift his head, and I felt a pang of worry clench at my heart.

"Yami! It's wonderful to see you," Jiichan whispered with a quavering smile lighting his face. A muscle just below his right eye twitched spasmodically. I smiled softly back at him, lightly stroking his pale, trembling hand, though the pang of worry in my heart swelled to a frightening ache. What was wrong with him?

"Jiichan, I was wondering," I began as a thought occurred to me, "how exactly did you get sick? I mean, what exactly happened?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly. About three and a half weeks ago, I was watching the game shop when I suddenly felt weak; I felt exhausted, drained for no reason. It just got gradually worse until I ended up here," Jiichan related tiredly.

"Drained?" I repeated thoughtfully. Jiichan nodded and rested his head back on the pillows, closing his eyes.

"Yami, we should probably go. He looks tired," Seto whispered in my ear. At the sound of his voice in the quiet room, however, Jiichan stirred.

"Kaiba? That you?" Jiichan asked, opening one eye. "Well, Yami, you did bring him back, after all. I must say, I hope things work out between the two of you." He closed his eyes again and my stomach flipped.

"Huh? Jiichan, what does that mean?" I asked weakly, but Seto was already tugging me out the door. "Goodbye, feel better," I called over my shoulder; then sent Seto a withering glare. "Why did you do that? I was still talking to him, Kaiba!" I spat, scowling darkly. He just rolled his eyes at my nasty expression.

"Yami, the man is sick and exhausted. You can't keep asking him difficult questions," Seto replied exasperatedly.

"Fine. But he said he felt drained, and I think it may have something to do with the Dream World. I need to speak to Isis," I said.

"Not her again! How many times do we have to go out to that stupid museum?" Seto groaned; but my continued glare, he finally sighed, relenting. "Alright, whatever, but tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do today," he muttered. He frowned sulkily, reminding me of a pouting toddler, and despite my annoyance I had to fight to keep from grinning at the sight.

"Fair enough," I replied, and followed him to the limousine, clutching his arm tightly.

**$$$$ Next Scene $$$$**

Later that evening Seto and I sat on the couch in his study as he pored over thick stacks of paperwork. I watched him work- his fine, dark hair hanging over his eyes as he bent over the papers; and tiny lines of concentration wrinkled his nose as he read. While I observed the endearing picture, I suddenly remembered Seto's conversation with Mokuba the day before- and his mysterious 'problem.' All the worry over Jiichan had driven it from my mind until now.

But, I _had_ to know what it was; if only to help him. I couldn't let Seto suffer- even though it seemed, from his conversation, that he didn't want me to worry, I couldn't help worrying about him. I _wanted_ to worry about him… because I cared about him.

However, I still needed to figure out how to find out Seto's secret. As I contemplated this, I glanced aimlessly around the room- and my eyes fell on the black-haired boy in the chair beside me, scribbling determinedly in a notebook as he glanced periodically at a textbook propped on the arm of the chair. Of course! I could just ask Mokuba- though I'd have to do it discreetly…

I checked to make sure Seto was occupied with his work, and then turned to Mokuba. "So, what do you and your brother usually talk about when I'm not around?" I asked conversationally; in a low voice, so not to draw Seto's attention.

"Not much, I guess; I tell him about school and he talks to me about his work and things like that," Mokuba shrugged, looking up from his homework.

"I bet he tells you things he doesn't tell anyone else, huh?" I commented.

"Oh, sure!" Mokuba beamed. "I was the only one who knew about his plans to build Kaiba Land, and I'm still the only one who knows that…"

"MOKUBA! Go downstairs and see if dinner is ready," Seto commanded, interrupting him. Mokuba's eyes widened and he blanched when he realized what he'd almost done. I frowned in disappointment.

"Oh, I'm sorry Seto!" he gasped. "I didn't mean to…"

Seto cleared his throat and nodded at the door. "Go on, Mokuba," he said, more gently, and Mokuba scurried out the door. Seto glanced at me briefly before turning back to his work. "That was clever of you," he commented neutrally. Seto stared at the papers in his lap, but his eyes didn't move, and I could tell he wasn't reading. As I continued to watch him, a slow flush spread up his throat and over his cheeks.

He kept staring at the papers.

"I wanted to know what the two of you were talking about yesterday when you thought I was asleep," I told him quietly as I gazed in wonder at Seto's blush. What could it mean? What had I been about to find out?

"Why didn't you just ask me instead of trying to trick my brother?" he asked. Seto finally looked at me again, and I saw that the blush had disappeared, but a hint of a smile now graced his handsome features. My stomach flopped at the sight of him.

"I didn't think you'd tell me," I replied.

Suddenly Seto slid the papers off his lap and turned to me. He stared at me for a long moment with a strange expression in his bright eyes, and I involuntarily scooted closer, until our thighs touched. Still watching me with that unreadable expression, Seto cautiously lifted a hand and gently brushed the bangs away from my face. I leaned automatically into his touch, and he slid his long, slender fingers over my cheek. As he tenderly cupped my cheek in his hand, a rush of happiness flooded through me and I smiled up at him.

Then Seto smirked.

"You're right. I wouldn't have told you," he commented cheekily, and poked the tip of my nose with his index finger.

My eye twitched.

**A/N**: Hmm, the horizontal rules don't seem to be working today. I hope you don't mind the weird scene divisions. Anyway, sorry for the wait- I think it's been almost a full week since I updated, but it's finals week. You're lucky to get a chapter at all! lol The next chapter should be up on Saturday, and I think you'll like it...

As always, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I love hearing from you guys!


	9. Tastes Like Chicken

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 9: Tastes Like Chicken

Soon afterwards, Mokuba returned and called Seto and me to dinner; and I grudgingly followed the brothers downstairs. Eating had become somewhat of a chore, since I could still only move about three feet away from Seto and I had to position my chair right against his as we ate. This might not have been so bad- except Seto had long arms. And sharp elbows.

"Ouch!" I muttered for the third time that evening, and wiped food from the table with my napkin, glaring at Seto.

"Did you spill something _again_?" he teased, shaking his head. I ignored his remark, but lifted my knife threateningly into the air before lowering it toward my chicken. He plucked the knife from my hands before it reached the food.

"Hey! Give that back!" I cried, reaching across Seto as he held the knife just out of my reach.

"You shouldn't be so violent," he smirked. I just glared at him and gave up the knife, turning back to my plate and staring defiantly at the chicken. After a moment of my ignoring him, Seto got bored and lazily tossed the knife back on my plate.

We ate silently for a minute, until I picked up my glass of water. When I had lifted it halfway to my mouth, Seto gave my side another hard jab with his elbow and water flew everywhere, somehow soaking me from head to toe. I jumped out of my drenched chair and gave Seto another furious glare. "Kaiba! Can't you be more careful?" I groaned, wringing out my soaked shirt. My long, matted bangs stuck to my forehead and I impatiently swept them from my dripping face.

Seto just snickered unrepentantly, his cerulean eyes twinkling with merriment at the sight of my pathetically sodden form, and Mokuba joined in, sniggering behind his hand. I scowled at the two of them. "Well, come on then, Seto. I have to change," I ordered impatiently.

"I'm not finished eating," Seto replied.

"Neither am I, but I'd like to finish my dinner in dry clothes," I snapped. He rolled his eyes and stood up, following me to the bedroom without further comment.

When I had changed into dry clothes (with Seto smirking at me the whole time) I gave Seto one last glare and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward the bathroom. "Come _on_, Seto," I groaned impatiently when he planted his feet firmly in resistance.

"Aren't you finished changing yet?" he asked rudely. "I'm hungry."

"_Someone_ spilled water all over me, and even managed to get it in my hair, so I need to dry my hair now," I retorted in exasperation. "And you spend more time elbowing me than eating, so I don't see what your hurry is."

Seto suddenly stalked into the bathroom ahead of me and grabbed a fluffy white towel. He then proceeded to attack my hair, rubbing my head furiously until every strand of my hair stood on end and I blinked stars from my eyes. "There. Dry," he said, and grabbed a hairbrush, quickly brushing my hair just as roughly as he had dried it.

When he laid the hairbrush back on the sink, looking at me expectantly, I just gaped at him. "You're slow," he explained shortly. "Are you ready now?"

"I think so… Do I look…?" I trailed off, dazed, inspecting myself in the mirror; my mind barely registering the red sleeveless shirt and black pants over its surprise at Seto's actions.

"You look perfect. Now come _on_," Seto replied impatiently, holding out his hand. Reddening, I took it, but I didn't move. "What? I'm not lying; you look great. Mokuba and the chicken will both be jealous," he added, rolling his eyes, and gave my hand a little tug.

I blushed harder and stared at the floor. "You don't have to compliment me; I'm not a girl," I muttered.

"Well, maybe I want to," Seto retorted, rolling his eyes again. He shifted his hand so that his fingers twined in mine and we walked downstairs together. I beamed happily the entire way.

* * *

We never got to finish our dinner. As Seto and I entered the room, our fingers interlaced, Mokuba briefly glanced up from his meal; and when he noted my contented grin his eyes widened. "Seto…" he breathed, tearing his glance from me and examining his older brother. I followed Mokuba's gaze with my own, but when I looked up at Seto I caught him watching me; his lips twisted into a strange, almost pained expression. His thick, dark bangs shaded his eyes, so I couldn't read their expression, but as I watched Seto his lips quirked once more and he turned his head.

He let go of my hand.

"What is it, Mokuba?" Seto asked neutrally.

"Er…" Mokuba shifted his eyes between the two of us; then, furrowing his brow, turned back to his plate. "Nothing," he muttered.

I sighed quietly. This 'secret' was really starting to get on my nerves. How could those two stand to be so mysterious all the time? I wouldn't be surprised if they were just making the whole thing up to drive me even more insane… But then, remembering Seto's blush…

Something was _definitely_ going on beneath the surface. But what?

Without another word, Seto began striding to his seat, with me at his heels; but a sharp ringing suddenly sounded from inside one of the pockets of his long, blue trench coat. Seto paused abruptly, digging in his pocket, and I barely caught myself in time to keep from smacking into him. I stumbled slightly and Mokuba let out a snort.

Seto ignored us both, instead lifting his cell phone to his ear and grunting. The person on the other end must have taken this as encouragement and began talking. A few moments later, Seto actually replied civilly. "Yes, I've been unable to be in the office. I've had personal business to attend to." I frowned guiltily at this and glanced away, coincidentally meeting Mokuba's gaze.

He actually smiled at me encouragingly.

I blinked, but hesitantly smiled in return, thankful that Mokuba seemed to have forgiven me for intruding on his brother's life. While I wondered at Mokuba's surprising change of heart, Seto continued his conversation. "Does it have to be now? …Alright, then. Just go… No, just go, I'll take care of it… I said, I'll take care of it! …No, you're not fired, but you will be if you don't do what I say!"

Seto hung up, groaning in annoyance, and turned to me apologetically. "Yami, I'm sorry, but we have to go to the office. Apparently it's an emergency." He sighed, shaking his head, and I reached out and laid a hand on his arm.

"It's fine, I don't mind. I'm sorry for keeping you away from your work for so long," I replied.

He gave me a tiny grin, barely quirking the edges of his lips upward; but my stomach began its now-familiar gymnastics at the sight. "Don't worry about it," Seto answered briefly, holding out his hand to me. I took it hesitantly, and Seto brusquely began his walk toward the door, with me clinging to him as usual. As Seto called out to his servants to get the limousine ready, I glanced over my shoulder once more at Mokuba.

He still wore his encouraging smile.

* * *

When Seto and I arrived at his office, the entire building had been deserted. I guess his employees must have taken Seto's halfhearted threat seriously. Still, it was eerie walking through the dark, empty lobby; the only sounds our echoing footsteps as we hurried to the elevator. It almost reminded me of the Dream World, and I stuck extra close to Seto as we passed shadowy, deserted offices on the way to his own.

When we reached Seto's office, however, I had to smile. Not only was this the familiar site of my escape from the Dream World, but the atmosphere here felt completely different than the eerie ambiance of the rest of the building. His office was situated on the top floor, and wide, floor-to-ceiling windows covered one wall, offering a spectacular view of the city lights. I gravitated automatically toward the incredible sight, but Seto headed for his desk.

Pausing in my tracks, I glanced between the glittering city lights stretched out before me and the slim brunet bending over stacks of paperwork.

I walked over to Seto.

He looked up from the papers and flashed me a quick smile. "I think you're making a little progress. You were about four feet away from me just now," Seto commented, gesturing for me to sit in the chair across his desk.

I tugged the chair around the desk so I sat beside him instead. "Still, I'd rather not take any chances," I mumbled lowly.

Seto laughed, flashing his even white teeth once more before he turned back to his paperwork. "No, I don't want you to either," he replied, sounding slightly distracted as he examined the tiny print. "Hmm… That sounds like a simple virus…and you have no idea how much I wanted you with me anyway… Yes, I can fix that in less than an hour."

Seto nodded to himself and turned to his computer, but paused at the sudden thump of my chair against the carpet as I jumped up, wide-eyed, and backed slowly toward the windows. He didn't even realize what he'd said- but did he mean it? Seto _wanted_ me- even before?

"What's wrong, Yami?" he asked, rising slowly.

I just gaped.

"What? Are you alright? Did the Dream World come back?" he continued worriedly, and I realized I was shaking, though this time in shock rather than fear. Seto approached me cautiously and grasped one of my trembling hands as I continued to stare dazedly into his brilliant blue eyes.

"I…I…" I stuttered and clenched my eyes shut, suddenly unable to face Seto another second as his words echoed over and over in my mind.

_You have no idea how much I wanted you with me…no idea how much I wanted you…_

I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn't help it, and tears streamed from my tightly clenched eyelids and my form kept shaking as I broke down completely in front of Seto for the second time in as many days. He _couldn't_ want me- especially not now that I was so clingy and insecure; _I_ didn't even want me around anymore. I shuddered as a sob lodged itself in my throat.

Just then, warm arms enveloped me, drawing me close to a slim yet muscular chest, and Seto rubbed my back consolingly, whispering vague comforting sounds in my ear. "Shh, Yami, it's alright, I'm here. Don't be upset- if Isis did something else to you I swear I'll kill her."

I chuckled through my tears. Only Seto could comfort someone with a threat.

He heard my laughter and pulled away slightly, examining my face. I stared at the ground, still not daring to look at Seto, and he lifted a hand and gently swiped the tear tracks from my cheeks. "Are you alright? Please tell me what's wrong," he murmured.

I glanced briefly at his worried blue gaze before dropping my eyes to the floor once more. "You said… You said you wanted me," I mumbled. At his sudden harsh intake of breath, I winced and squeezed my eyes shut again; of course, I had probably misunderstood him…

After a long, silent moment, I worked up the courage to speak again. "Sorry. I know you didn't mean anything by it," I muttered.

"Yami." The harsh word made me finally peek up at Seto's slightly red face; he frowned slightly as he watched me through those intense blue eyes. "Don't be sorry. _I'm_ sorry for upsetting you. But… I just want you to know that I do want you…around…and I always have." He mumbled the last part in barely more than a whisper, and his face reddened even more, though he still didn't break our eye contact.

My eyes widened as Seto stepped closer to me once again and dropped a small kiss on my forehead; but at the touch of his lips against my skin I snapped. I couldn't handle this tension anymore- I couldn't stand being this close to him for another second; not when all I wanted to do was grab him and…

As Seto began to pull away, I fisted my hands in his shirt and jerked him back towards me, standing on my tiptoes to crash our lips together; and as soon as I met those warm, soft lips with my own, I let go of his shirt and wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed him. Seto let out a muffled gasp, but didn't try to pull away; instead, he slipped his arms around my waist and drew me flush against him.

I moaned in happiness at the feel of his warm body so close to mine- I could feel his heart thudding against his ribs just as nervously as mine had been, and I smiled against Seto's lips. He ran his tongue across my bottom lip and nipped it lightly; and I gasped at the tingling sensation that ran through my entire body even as Seto slipped his tongue inside my mouth.

Seto kept moving his lips against mine, activating all the right nerve endings, even as our tongues slid fervently past each other. He tasted like the unfinished chicken we'd had for dinner. I laughed at the thought and Seto broke away from my lips, gasping for air. "What's so funny?" he panted, beginning to trail wet kisses along my jaw line until he sucked at my earlobe seductively.

"You taste like chicken," I replied, grinning.

Seto quit sucking on my ear long enough to give me a confused glare. "Well, _that's_ the last thing I expected to hear," he quipped dryly.

I just grinned wider and captured his lips in another passionate kiss. Several minutes later, we broke apart, gasping, and Seto rested his forehead against mine. "God, Yami, you're so incredible," he murmured, his eyelids slipping shut.

I smiled up at him, but paused as a thought occurred to me. "Seto? Did you really want me…even before?" I asked hesitantly.

"Mhm," he murmured in assent, his eyes still closed.

"Then- is that what you and Mokuba were talking about?" I questioned, a triumphant grin spreading across my face. I'd finally figured out their secret; I was sure of it!

Seto finally opened his eyes, only to roll them indulgently and back away from me. "I still have work to do," he muttered.

I followed him to the desk, still grinning happily.

* * *

**A/N**: And there you have it! We're almost done- only one chapter to go. I finish my exams this Wednesday, so the last chapter will go up sometime Wednesday evening, as well as the first chapter of my next story. Thank you all so much for reading and responding to this- I'm dangerously close to 100 reviews; I can't believe it -and I hope you liked the chapter. See you Wednesday! 


	10. Seto Decides to Fix Things

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Chapter 10: Seto Decides to Fix Things 

The next morning at the breakfast table Seto scooted his chair even closer to mine than was necessary; and he kept sliding his hand along my thigh under the table. I ate my breakfast slowly, trying not to choke, with my face burning the entire time. Mokuba, the little fiend, pretended not to notice; but I saw his smirk. Sometimes the Kaiba brothers were so alike it made me want to scream- or at least run away from the pair of them.

Unfortunately, since I had violent hallucinations every time I moved two feet from Seto, that wasn't exactly an option.

As soon as Mokuba left for school, Seto's ceased his hidden advances (though I think he got a thrill from them) and began openly kissing me. He trailed wet kisses from my shoulder up my neck and jaw, ending on my mouth with a teasing taste of his tongue. Grinning, I responded with a teasing kiss of my own- which quickly degenerated into a lustful encounter against the kitchen table.

As I blissfully ran my fingers along Seto's smooth, lean torso, I wondered vaguely how someone so cold and distant to the rest of the world could in reality be so fiery and passionate; so eager to love and to feel love in return. But then, I suppose it shouldn't really surprise me, since Seto had always thrown himself avidly into everything he ever attempted, directing his fervent passion into whatever project he happened to care about.

Now, thanks to whatever generous deity that awarded it, I was the recipient of that passion. I would never take that for granted.

Seto lightly nipped my collarbone and I let out a blissful moan, gripping his silky hair in my fingers, when someone cleared his throat uncomfortably in the doorway. We froze, giving simultaneous guilty glances to the servant (Ned), who shifted awkwardly on one foot. "What do _you_ want?" Seto growled, reluctantly pulling away.

"Er…Yami has a phone call from a woman named Isis," Ned muttered. "She says it's extremely important."

Seto crossed his arms and glared at the poor servant until I sighed, eyeing Seto warningly. "Kaiba, don't start. You know we probably need to hear anything Isis has to say," I admonished. He just scowled and waved me away dismissively, so I followed Ned into the hallway and picked up the phone. Isis began speaking almost before I put the receiver to my ear.

"My Pharaoh, we have a serious problem," she told me in her mysterious, melodic.

"There's _another_ one?" Seto (who had followed me and was listening over my shoulder) put in dryly. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I have discovered the source of the Dream World's power. If you can cut off its power source, you will be free from it forever, without any more spells," Isis continued, ignoring Seto.

"I don't understand. How is that a problem?" I asked in confusion. "It sounds like _good_ news to me."

"She's not telling us everything. That b- ("Kaiba!" I warned) just likes to string us along," Seto spat bitterly.

"Pharaoh, the bad news is that your host and his family are the power sources," Isis said.

"See?" Seto put in sarcastically, as I gaped in horror.

"What do you mean?" I breathed.

"I'm afraid that when the spirit possessing my brother created the Dream World, he used Yugi and his grandfather's energy as…well, _fuel _for the nightmares," Isis replied. "It's been draining them ever since. Yugi's grandfather collapsed first, since he's older and weaker."

"I was afraid it was something like this," I whispered sadly.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Seto snapped at the same time.

"Kaiba, I told you all this was my fault!" I countered, narrowing my eyes.

He grabbed the phone from my hands and slammed it into the receiver. "For the last time, it is NOT!" he snarled, and snatching my hand, began to drag me along the hall and out the front door.

"Seto, what are you doing? Why are you so angry?" I gasped, hurrying to keep up with his rapid strides. He stalked to the front gate and barked at one of the guards to call for a limo before answering me.

"I don't care what Isis says. I'm sick of her and her crazy brother upsetting you and making you lose confidence in yourself; I miss the old, proud Yami," he said, and noticing my stricken expression, quickly added, "not that I care about you any less. It's just time to fix things."

I smiled weakly and stood on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on his still-swollen lips. "Thank you, but _what_ are you doing? Where are we going?"

"To find the psychopath," Seto replied darkly.

* * *

Seto stormed into the museum as I huffed along resignedly behind him, and as soon as he burst through the doors he sent a random museum worker a withering glare. The poor woman's eyes widened in fear as Seto growled, "Where is Isis Ishtahl?" The woman pointed shakily toward a back room, and Seto stalked away with me at his heels, calling an apology to the woman over my shoulder. 

"Pharaoh, Kaiba," Isis greeted us with a nod, as soon as Seto burst through the door to her office. "I rather expected to see you."

"Tell us where to find your brother," Seto ordered levelly, giving Isis his coldest stare. "I know that he can get rid of this Dream World, or at least his 'evil side' can. I don't know why I didn't think of it before." (Seto rolled his eyes and made sarcastic air quotes when he said 'evil side,' and I had to fight down a snigger; I hated it when he made me laugh at inappropriate times.)

"Malik's darker side has disappeared," Isis replied coolly, meeting Seto's glare with one of her own.

Seto snorted. "Sure. Just tell me where your brother is," he snapped.

"Why? What do you want?" a voice drawled from the doorway behind us. We whirled to find Malik leaning casually against the doorpost, idly twisting a lock of his platinum blonde hair. "She wasn't lying, you know. My darker half _has_ disappeared- I don't doubt that he'll come back, but I don't know how to make him show up and I'd rather not try," Malik continued nonchalantly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could almost see the steam rising from Seto's head as he glared furiously at Malik. "You'd better try! He almost killed Yami, and he put Yami's family in the hospital!" Seto shouted angrily.

Something flickered across Malik's face before he shook his head slowly. "That may be, but making my dark half come out won't solve anything; it'll just cause more prob…" Marik broke off, grimacing in pain, and clutched his head.

"Brother!" Isis cried worriedly. "Brother, what's wrong?"

Malik straightened and gave a maniacal laugh, and I realized that his hair had suddenly grown spikier and his violet eyes had narrowed into tiny, angry orbs. "So, you fools finally decided to confront me, hmm?" he scoffed.

"Marik!" I growled. "What have you done to Yugi and Jiichan?"

"So unselfish," Marik mocked. "Shouldn't you be more worried about what I did to _you_?"

I glanced briefly at Seto before replying. "Believe it or not, Marik, you did me a favor," I said. The psychopath narrowed his eyes in confusion before deciding to ignore me.

"Hah, so you want to know how to get rid of the Dream World completely? Too bad, because I'll never tell you," Marik teased in maniacal glee.

"Listen, you crazy, evil…" Kaiba threatened, but Marik suddenly held up the Sennen Rod and Seto froze. Then Marik turned to me, smirking predatorily.

"How did you get the Rod back?" I gasped, but he ignored me and began chanting something in ancient Egyptian. Isis cried out for her brother pleadingly and I made a move toward Marik, but I found myself frozen to the spot as familiar swirling colors enveloped the walls.

"This time, Kaiba can't help you," Marik called, before his voice faded into the distance.

* * *

I blinked my eyes and examined my surroundings. I was back in the Dream World; but somehow it seemed different- the landscape, though sickeningly outlined with shifting colors, was no longer hazy; instead the flat plains and monstrous shrubbery had sharp outlines. It seemed much more…real. 

"Seto?" I whispered weakly, though I knew he wouldn't come. The only answer I received was a rush of wind reminiscent of mocking laughter. Slowly I began walking along the harsh plain, not sure of where I was headed, but my feet led me on of their own accord. After a long period of stillness and eerie silence, I started to wonder about this new Dream World.

"It doesn't seem like much of a nightmare," I mused. "The only thing really wrong is that I'm alone, without Seto…or Yugi." Remembering the Yugi from my original sojourn in the Dream World, I shuddered. "Of course, I would rather be alone forever than see Yugi so evil and vicious again," I whispered faintly.

"Is that so?" a familiar voice drawled, and I turned to see the very person I'd come to dread- Yugi, with his sweet young face twisted in vicious amusement. I knew he was merely a hallucination, but found it hard to convince myself that he wasn't real. Like the rest of this world, Yugi seemed more natural; more sharply defined. No swirling colors distorted his face- he looked exactly like he should.

Except for the cruel expression.

"What do you want from me?" I asked tiredly.

"Do I have to want something, besides wanting to spend time with the darker half of my soul?" Yugi asked in a bored tone, and I bristled.

"I may have started out as merely the darker half of your soul; a formless spirit locked inside a Puzzle, but now I'm something else. I'm my own person, with my own goals, my own interests…and my own love," I replied heatedly. An image of Seto's crystal-blue eyes and soft pale skin burst into my mind and I suddenly felt stronger.

"Love?" Yugi scoffed. "How would _you_ know what love is? You let me- your so-called 'best friend' –and Jiichan waste away, feeding your nightmares, while you wasted your time flirting with your 'love'!" Yugi smirked knowingly. "What do you think is happening to Jiichan right now? Haven't you wondered why everything is so clear here? Your little fantasy world gets stronger the more _we_ waste away."

Yugi waved a hand over his face and suddenly his visage changed to what it had been the last I saw of him- haggard and drawn, with dark circles outlining his dull violet eyes. "There's not much time left," he whispered vindictively, and waved his hand again, reappearing as the healthy (but cruel) Yugi he had been moments before.

The apparition smirked at me for a long moment as I stared at him in wonder, still seeing the weary Yugi in my mind; as well as Jiichan lying in a hospital bed, too weak to speak to me. "Yugi, I'm so sorry," I breathed. "But it isn't my fault this is happening, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. All I can do is accept that it's out of my hands- there's no point in tormenting myself with guilt and grief; but I will _never_ stop caring about you and Jiichan or loving Seto, even if I'm stuck here for the rest of my life," I said determinedly.

Then I reached out and hugged the vicious Yugi- cruel smirk and all.

* * *

Wearily I cracked open my eyes, slowly becoming aware of vague blurs surrounding me. A soft sound came from my right- a low, sniffling murmur, and I realized someone was crying. Now if I could only figure out who and why; oh, and maybe find out where I was while I was at it. 

"Yami, I'm so sorry," the person mumbled. "I _had_ to drag you over there, and then all I did was stand there while Marik tortured you…" Full, wracking sobs broke out from the person, and I blinked slowly as the person squeezed my hand tightly and lifted it to his lips. He kissed my fingers softly as the world gradually came into focus, and I saw unkempt brown bangs sweeping over soft blue eyes. He cupped my hand to his cheek and I felt the scratchy sensation of stubble, since the person apparently hadn't shaved in a few days.

"I love you so much," he whispered, and suddenly everything clicked.

"Seto!" I cried, wrenching my eyes open fully and bolting upright. He gasped and squeezed my hand nearly tightly enough to break it.

"Y…Yami? You're awake? But-but they said you would never…that you were…" Seto stuttered.

"What happened?" I asked, gently prying my hand from Seto's death grip. "The last thing I remember is seeing Yugi in the Dream World…he said that I was draining his and Jiichan's lives away," I murmured softly.

"Yami- it was NOT your fault…" Seto began, but I interrupted him.

"I know. That's what I told him. I said that I couldn't help what happened, and I refused to feel guilty anymore. Then I hugged him and told him I cared about him…even though I know it was just the dream version of Yugi and not the real one…" I said evenly.

Seto stared at me in disbelief. "Yami…what happened to you? You seem like…like…" Seto gasped.

"Like who?" I asked tiredly, swinging my legs over the side of Seto's bed and silently noting that I was in his room. It was a relief to be home…

Huh, that was an interesting thought.

"Like…yourself," Seto replied, and a dazzling smile appeared on his face. He quickly stood, motioning for me to stay seated. "Yami, you know I'll never leave you, but I think we need to test something." Seto rushed from the room, closing the door behind him.

I waited. And waited. Finally he stuck his head cautiously back through the door. "Well?" Seto asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I replied, shrugging. Then my eyes widened and I leapt to my feet. "Nothing! Nothing happened! Seto, it's gone, the Dream World's gone!" I cried. He rushed to me and lifted me in his arms, spinning me around in triumph.

"You beat it, all by yourself," Seto breathed in wonder, and lowered me to the ground. Decisively his lips found mine, and he plunged his tongue into my eagerly opened mouth. His kiss spoke of triumph and joy- and love; and I responded with love, showing him with my soft kisses all the gratitude and longing I felt for him. I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck, propping my body weight against his slim form as we kissed for a long, unforgettable moment.

Finally I pulled away, frowning, as I remembered something. "Seto, what happened to Yugi and Jiichan? Are they alright?" I asked worriedly. "The Dream World was so real this time; it must have drained nearly all their energy away! Jiichan…he couldn't hold out much longer…he's not…is he…?" I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

To my immense relief, Seto smiled. "Marik is such a liar," he said.

"Huh?" I intelligently replied.

"Yami, the Dream World was probably clearer this time because he changed the spell, _obviously_," Seto informed me knowledgeably. I don't care how much I love him; I still wanted to slap him right then.

"What are you talking about? You're starting to remind me of Isis," I retorted.

Seto scowled and hurriedly explained himself. "Since you had had your own body for a while, I guess you gained enough strength to be your own sort of…fuel, I guess, for the Dream World, without Yugi and his grandfather," Seto said.

Remind me never to ask Seto Kaiba to explain anything having to do with magic or spells.

"Huh?" I asked again.

Seto sighed. "When Marik did whatever he did to you a few days ago, he changed the spell so that it wasn't draining Yugi and Jiichan anymore. It was draining _you._ It should have killed you…" he told me, choking slightly on the word 'killed.'

"So they're alright?" I asked, and Seto nodded.

I reached for his hand and twined our fingers together. "I wonder how I broke the spell," I mused. "I guess it was because when I quit feeling so upset and guilty, I pretty much ended the nightmare Marik had set up for me."

Seto grinned and kissed my forehead lightly. "You finally started listening to what I've been telling you," he boasted.

"Kaiba, you are so arrogant," I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. I pulled away from him slightly and scrutinized his face. "So what happens now?" I asked.

"You move in permanently, of course," Seto replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Well, maybe it was.

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**A/N: **Thank you so much to all who read and responded to this story! I ended up with over 100 reviews! Yay! I'm so grateful to you all! And I hope that you read my next story; I'm posting the first chapter today. It's called "Heart of Darkness" and it's Seto/Yami, of course.

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